In This Together
by Fire The Canon
Summary: When tragedy strikes, Rose and Hugo have no choice but to deal with what has befallen them. Through struggles, anger, frustration, and most importantly, love, how will their tragic circumstances bring them closer together? RoseHugo sibling fic. For Multi-Chapter Boot Camp.
1. Chapter 1

**_Written for my own Mutli chapter Boot Camp - each chapter uses a different prompt - using the prompt 'suspicion'._**

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**Chapter One**

Rose was sitting in her usual seat in Charms, third row from the front, in between Albus and Scorpius. It was an arrangement her cousin and friend had come up with in their first year.

_You're the brains,_ Albus had told her when she had accused them of only wanting to copy off her._ This way you can help us both at the same time when you master the spell first go._

She didn't mind, though. Not really. She actually liked helping them.

Professor Flitwick – hadn't he been her _parent's_ Charms teacher? – stood on his pile of books as he tried to get the class's attention. Albus and Scorpius were throwing bits of parchment across her, ignoring her scowl and reprimand about how their teacher was waiting.

Behind her, Jasmine Finnegan was talking to Georgia Grey about her latest boyfriend. Rose rolled her eyes and shook her head as Jasmine gave her friend every detail of their night prowling the corridors together. She knew her parents had been friends with Jasmine's dad in their days at Hogwarts, but if she was being honest with herself, she wasn't a fan of the girl. Jasmine was loud, obnoxious and used boys like they were toilet paper. Rose hated people like that. Boys were people too.

"Silence, please!" Flitwick's squeaky voice echoed loudly across the room. Rose glanced up. He had his wand to his throat, causing his voice to be louder than it actually was.

The classroom silenced instantly, probably in shock that their tiny professor could actually be that loud.

"Thank you," Flitwick then said, his voice returning to normal. "Now, if you could all please turn to page twenty-seven of your text books, we'll be learning the Shield Charm today."

"Excellent!" Albus said. "Maybe then I'll be able to stop James practicing his NEWT spells on me."

"And Eva Creevey from fawning over you," Scorpius added with a snigger.

"Definitely."

"Quiet!" Rose hissed at both of them.

"Will you all repeat after me?" Flitwick sqeaked. "_Protego_."

"_Protego_," the class echoed.

"Excellent. Now with your wands."

Rose picked up her wand along with the rest of the class.

"On the count of three... one, two, three, _Pro_ –" Flitwick stopped so abruptly that the whole class was actually paying him attention. He was looking at the back of the classroom. "P-Professor Longbottom?" he asked. "Can I help you?"

Rose turned her head to see Professor Longbottom standing there with a grim expression. It took her a few moments to realise Hugo was beside him. _What's going on?_ she wondered.

"Sorry, Professor, I was just wondering if I could borrow Miss Weasley?"

Rose turned back to Flitwick. He looked a bit surprised, but nodded all the more. "Of course, of course. Off you go, Miss Weasley."

Rose got slowly to her feet, knowing that all eyes were on her. She made her way to Professor Longbottom, completely forgetting about her bag. Albus would bring it back to the common room later.

"This way, Rose," he instructed gently.

Rose began to follow, casting a questioning look at her brother. He seemed to be just as confused as she was. Where was Professor Longbottom taking them? What had happened?

They were taken to all the way to the Headmaster's office. "Chocolate Frog," the professor said and the gargoyle jumped aside, revealing the spiral staircase.

Rose had only been in the Headmaster's office once and that was back in her second year. One of the third year Slytherins had taken to picking on Hugo and she had stepped in, defending her brother. It had only been his second day at Hogwarts. It had landed her a month's detention for the Bat Bogey Hex, but it was better him than her brother right?

They followed Professor Longbottom up the spiral staircase and waited for the door to open. Inside was Professor Gimp – the Headmaster – as well as her aunt and uncle. Harry was slumped in a chair, his head in his hands and his body shaking as if he was crying. Ginny's eyes were puffy and red. She _had_ been crying.

That was when Rose really started to panic. Something bad had happened – that was the only explanation. Her aunt and uncle looked devastated.

"Sit down, please," Professor Gimp told them grimly. He summoned two chairs and Rose and Hugo obeyed. Ginny came to stand behind them, resting a hand on each of their shoulders.

Gimp sat on the edge of his desk, folding his arms. He was a fairly young Headmaster, only coming to the post two years ago when McGonagall had retired. He was fairly likable amongst the students, popular for his passion in Quidditch and his good sense of humour.

None of that seemed apparent in that moment as he watched his two students with pity.

"Now," he began gently, "this may come as a shock to both of you, but earlier this morning, there was an attack in your family's home." He hesitated for a moment and Rose felt Ginny grip her shoulder tighter. "...Your... your parents were killed."

Rose felt tears she hadn't realised were there roll down her cheeks. She had known. The moment she had seen her aunt and uncle there, she had known they were going to tell her something like that. Somewhere to her right, Professor Longbottom let out a loud sob.

Rose didn't pay him much attention. She reached for Hugo's hand. He was as white as a ghost. She had to be the big sister in this. She was fifteen; he was only twelve.

"H-how?" she asked, sounding braver than she actually felt. Did she really want to know how it had happened?

"We're not quite sure yet, Rose." That was Ginny. She was squatting down at their level, her hand caressing Rose's hair. "Uncle Harry went to your home this morning because your dad didn't show for work and he... found them." Her voice shook at her last words and more tears rolled down Rose's cheeks.

She shook her head. "They can't be dead," she said quietly. "They're... they're Mum and Dad. They... it has to be a mistake!"

Ginny pulled her to her chest, running gentle fingers through her hair. Rose sobbed silently against her and continued to hold her brother's hand at the same time. He still hadn't said a word; he hadn't moved. He just sat there staring at nothing.

No one said anything. Ginny didn't try to fill them with words of assurance. She just held onto Rose while she cried. Harry remained in the chair. He hadn't said a word either. Perhaps he was in too much shock to say anything.

It was Professor Gimp who spoke first. "Due to these terrible circumstances, you have been granted permission to leave the school for as much time as you need. To be with your family, organise a funeral..."

"Don't overwhelm them!" Harry snapped. They were the first words he had spoken since Rose had entered the office.

She turned away from Ginny and looked at him. His eyes were also red. She gripped Hugo's hand tighter.

"I don't want to go home," she said. "I want to stay here, go to class. I don't want to go home."

"Rose," Ginny said gently. "I think it will be best if you and Hugo come and stay with us for a few weeks."

Rose shook her head. "No. I want to stay here."

"Me too."

Everyone looked at Hugo as if they had forgotten he was there. Rose squeezed his fingers tightly, assuring him that she was there.

"We'll come back for the funeral," she continued. "But..." A fresh wave of tears overcame her and Ginny pulled her in for another hug.

"Very well," Professor Gimp said. "I'll organise that you are excused from the rest of today's lessons. Go back to Gryffindor common room. I'll request that you don't be disturbed.

"Can I talk to you, Professor?" Harry then asked. "You too, Ginny."

Ginny pulled away gently from Rose and got to her feet. "I'll be back in a minute," she promised both of them soothingly and disappeared through a door with the other two adults.

Rose remained in her seat, listening – she could still hear what they were saying despite them keeping their voices hushed.

"I hardly think leaving them here will be any good for them," she heard Harry say. "They've just lost their parents. They need to be with their family. And frankly, I don't think telling them straight out like that was the best thing to do." His voice was angry. Rose had never heard him angry before.

"It was their choice," Professor Gimp argued. "And how was I supposed to tell them? Was I supposed to sugar coat it for them? Their parents were murdered in their home – there is no way around that."

Rose swallowed. _Murdered?_

"They're not thinking rationally. They're upset. You saw Hugo. He didn't know what do or say." That was Ginny. "I think what is best for them is coming with us."

"You have just lost two members of your family too," Professor Gimp said. "Perhaps neither of _you_ are thinking rationally either. The most important people in this are Rose and Hugo. You must do what is best for them. If they want to stay, I say you let them. At least for now while they come to terms with what has happened."

"What will happen when word gets out?" Harry questioned. "And believe me, it will get out."

There was a moment's silence and then Ginny spoke. "Maybe he's right. None of us expected this, Harry. Maybe it's best if we let them spend some time together before we surround them with every other member of the family."

Rose could practically hear Harry hesitate.

"You of all people should know how it feels," Ginny said.

"Which is why I think they should be with us. I had no one – I was treated worse than an animal at the Dursleys – but Rose and Hugo have so many people who love and care for them... I just don't want them living like I did."

"And that won't happen, Harry," Ginny replied gently. "We're all here for them. We all lost someone this morning. You lost your best friends, I lost my brother and those kids lost their parents. We're not going to send them off to some orphanage to be raised by Muggles. They want to be here, where it's familiar and probably somewhere that doesn't remind them of what they have lost. If we take them home, we may as well put up a sign that says 'your parents just died.' Ron and Hermione would have wanted us to do what is best for them. I believe that for now, that is allowing them to stay here, where they are away from it all."

Fresh tears rolled down Rose's cheeks. It was true – it really was true. If she had known the last time she would see her parents would be on the platform three weeks ago, she would have made the hug with her mum longer. She wouldn't have argued with her dad and told him she could carry her own trunk – she would have let him do it like he had wanted to.

And she would have told them how much she loved them.

"What we need to be concerned about is who the hell did it," Ginny continued.

"You know who did it, Ginny," Harry replied.

Rose sat up a little straighter, listening intently to what they were saying.

"No, Harry, you haven't told – surely not!" Ginny exclaimed in what she seemed to think was a whisper. "If she was out for revenge, surely she would have gone after... the kids."

"I believe she went straight to the source of her problem," Harry replied, even more softly than Ginny. Rose had to strain her ears to hear him. "Nevertheless, I want them safe. We haven't found her and we have no proof it was her. Those kids need to be safe until we know what has happened."

"All the more reason to keep them here where the walls are virtually impenetrable."

"I don't like it."

"They'll be safe. I can assure you that, Mr Potter."

There was more silence and then the door opened again. Ginny returned to Rose's side, engulfing her in another hug. "It's alright," she soothed.

"I... I wish I had told them... that I-I loved them," she sobbed into her aunt's shoulder.

"They knew."

"I... should have t-told them, though. I sh-should have told them and... and now it's too late. They're gone." Rose cried harder and Ginny hugged her tighter.

Harry came to stand beside Ginny. "If there is anything that I have learnt in my experiences, people who die are never gone; not completely. You loved them and they loved you – very much – which means they live in here." He touched a spot close to his heart.

Rose took in a deep breath, nodding. She'd never forget them; she'd never forget all the stories they read to her, all the games they played with her and all the times she had pushed them away, trying to be a grown up. They had done so much for her and she had never appreciated it. Not once – until now.

"You-you know who did it," she stated bluntly, looking at her uncle with more anger than she intended. "I heard you. You know who killed them."

Harry seemed lost for words for a moment. He glanced at Ginny who just held Rose tighter. "We're not certain, Rose, you have to understand. There is no proof as to who it was yet."

Rose wasn't stupid; she knew he just didn't want to tell her. "Tell us who it was!" she cried. "They were our parents, we deserve to know."

Harry hesitated.

"Tell us!"

"Rose, you don't need to know; not yet. When we know for sure, I will tell you, I promise, but for now, you have a lot to think about. Don't let matters of the Ministry concern you. There is a lot more to it than you think."

"This does concern us!" Rose argued, blinking away fresh tears. "If someone killed them, I want to know who it was."

Harry shook his head. "As I said, you will be the first to know when we catch them. For now, just go back to the common room and be with your brother." He turned to the Headmaster. "I give my permission for James, Albus and Lily to be taken from class to be with them. And I don't think you'll have any objections if you remove the others as well. Actually, we should probably tell them together."

Professor Gimp nodded and turned to Professor Longbottom, who was standing there silently. Rose had completely forgotten he was there. He also had tears in his eyes and seemed to be as shocked and as upset as everyone else, but he had remained quiet throughout the whole thing. She wondered if he had been told beforehand, or had found out with them.

"Professor, go and collect the other Potter and Weasley children and bring them back here, please. Do not tell them anything. I will leave that to Mr and Mrs Potter."

Professor Longbottom nodded and hurried from the office.

Rose had another question she wanted answered. "Why didn't they defend themselves?"

"They would have, Rose," Ginny answered softly. "They just probably didn't have time. They wouldn't have expected it."

"You don't know that!" Rose argued. "What if they let whoever it was kill them?"

"They were both holding their wands when I found them," Harry answered bluntly. "And I checked – their last spells were Defensive spells. They fought, Rosie, they fought for as long as they could. Now, come on, we'll take a walk while we wait for the others."

Ginny helped them both to their feet – an arm across each of their shoulders – and led them from the office.

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_**Alright, this is an idea that came to my head a while ago and due to the Boot Camp idea, this is intended to be at least 50 chapters (though I doubt I will get much further than 50 anyway). I have already written the first 11 chapters, the first 10 with my beta, Pam (cherryredxx). I am incredibly proud of how this is turning out and I really hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoy writing it. Please leave a review and let me know what you think. I would really appreciate everyone's support on this fic. **_

_**Thanks.**_


	2. Chapter 2

**_Using the prompt "Talking to myself"_**

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**Chapter Two**

When they returned to the Headmaster's office twenty minutes later, Rose found all her cousins who still attended Hogwarts seated quietly. Each looked as confused as she had been when she had first stepped into the office. Professor Gimp sat opposite them all in silence.

Albus was the first to see them enter and he got to his feet. "What's going on?" he asked. "First you and Hugo were taken out of class, then Nev – Professor Longbottom came to get us as well." He looked around the room. "You've all been crying. _What's going on?_"

"Al, something has happened involving all of us," Ginny replied kindly. "Just sit down and we will explain it to you."

Albus walked uncertainly back to his chair. The Headmaster conjured four new chairs.

Rose sat between Albus and Lucy, refusing to look at either of them. She wiped away a few stray tears.

Hugo sat in between James and Lily, still as white as he had been when they had left. The walk around the grounds hadn't made him speak. He had walked along in silence, only nodding or shaking his head when someone spoke to him.

Her other two cousins, Molly and Louis, were watching everyone else with curiosity. Molly – being her usual, self-centred self – was slumped in the chair with her arms folded. She probably thought they were all in trouble for something.

Rose wondered if she would even care once she heard the news. She didn't seem to care about much when it came to family; not even her younger sister, Lucy. Louis just sat silently, waiting for the news, while Ginny and Harry sat on either side of the Headmaster, wearing the same sombre expressions they had when they had broken to news to Rose and Hugo.

Harry was the first to speak. "Now, before I begin I ask that all of you hear me out before you say anything. This will be shocking and upsetting for all of you and you will probably have a million questions. But please keep them to yourself until I've finished explaining."

It felt like they were in class and Harry was their teacher.

Albus shifted uncomfortably beside Rose.

"This morning, your aunt and uncle – Ron and Hermione – were found in their home... dead. Neither of them showed up for work and when I went over there to investigate, I... f-found them."

Rose heard him choke on the last words. She knew how close her parents were to Harry – she knew they were his best friends and had been since they had started Hogwarts themselves. And he had been the one to find his best friends. She didn't blame him for being upset.

Albus sat up a little straighter and opened his mouth to speak, but Ginny shook her head at him and he closed it again.

"At the moment, all we know is they were killed by another witch or wizard at approximately five AM. Muggle neighbours saw a stranger leaving the house at that time. We have a few descriptions which have given us a pretty good lead, but at the moment we are uncertain about what exactly happened." He looked at Rose and she could have sworn his eyes were glistening a little. Part of her wanted to walk over to him and put her arms around him, but she didn't. She didn't want to have to see him cry.

"Now," Harry continued. "I know you want to know who it was and would like them to be caught, but it takes time and patience. These things cannot be rushed and we need evidence to charge them..." he paused. "Any questions?"

No one said anything. Even Albus was silent and he had seemed so desperate to say something just moments ago.

Rose just sat there. It wasn't any easier hearing it the second time around. It didn't change anything. Her parents were still gone and she and Hugo were left orphans. Sure, she wouldn't be living in some Muggle orphanage – as Ginny had put it – but she wouldn't be going home either.

She had lived in that house since she had been born. It had so many happy memories. She remembered playing with her cousins in the backyard, her mum complaining about the Quidditch pitch her dad had made, the Quidditch games with her family.

Now, when she set foot in there again, she knew all she would be thinking about was where it had happened and what they had been doing. It was no longer her home because a home wasn't supposed to have bad memories.

The first sound anyone made was Lily, who had broken into loud sobs. James patted her awkwardly on the shoulder and Ginny came over to engulf her in one of her comforting hugs.

Of course Lily would be the most upset – she spent a lot of the holidays at their place with Hugo. It was like her second home.

"I know, I know," Ginny said soothingly. "I know." She cupped her daughter's face in her hands and kissed her forehead. She was obviously trying to be strong for Lily's sake, but her expression said otherwise. A few tears rolled down her own cheeks and she rubbed her daughter's back. Who was there to comfort her?

Rose looked around. Everyone else was sitting there in shock. Even Molly was paler than usual. Harry watching them all. It looked like he too, was about to break down.

"I-I have a question," Albus began shakily. "W-why did they do it?"

_Yes_, Rose thought. _Why? Why did someone want to kill my parents?_

Harry hesitated. "We're... we're not sure, Al," he answered and once again Rose got the feeling he wasn't telling them everything. It seemed to her he knew who had done it and he had a fair idea as to why. Something must have happened that would encourage someone to kill.

What had her parents done?

"I also think someone should tell Scorpius," Albus added, surprising even Rose. It was a well-known fact that the Malfoys and the Weasleys didn't get along – not in their parent's generation. "He-he would like to know. He was peeing himself with worry when Rose got taken out of class."

Rose didn't miss the look her cousin gave her. She blushed despite herself.

"Al, this is a family matter," Ginny said, her arms still around Lily. "It doesn't concern him."

"When Rosie is involved, it _always_ concerns him," Albus replied.

"He'll find out soon, anyway," Ginny replied firmly, making it clear the matter was to be discussed no more.

Albus went to argue, but Rose stopped him. "I'll tell him later, Al," she said. "They're right, Scorpius isn't family."

"So, I guess we'll have to leave Hogwarts for the funeral then?" Molly asked.

Rose didn't know if she did it on purpose or it was just Molly, but she always managed to make it sound as if she didn't care.

"You don't have to come," Rose answered spitefully. "If you'd rather stay here, of course."

Molly gave her a look. "I was just asking!" she replied harshly.

"When will the funeral be?" James asked, directing his question to Rose.

Rose shook her head, looking at Harry.

"That hasn't been decided yet. If you and Hugo want to be involved in the organising of it... we would like you both to be."

Rose nodded. She wanted to be; she wanted to give her parents a funeral they deserved. No one knew them like she did, not even Harry.

Professor Gimp got to his feet. "You are all excused from classes for the rest of the week – and more if any of you require it. Go back to your common rooms and take it easy. I will send your Heads of Houses in later to check on you all."

Rose got slowly off her chair and walked to the door. Ginny still had her arms around Lily. Her cousin had stopped crying, but her eyes were still red and her cheeks were tear-stained.

Rose held out her hand to her brother. "You okay?" she asked him.

Hugo nodded solemnly. He wasn't okay, but she wasn't going to push the point. They would have plenty of time to talk later. Right now, she just wanted to go to her dormitory and sleep before Jasmine and Georgia and the other girls returned.

Molly placed a hand on her shoulder. "If you want me to tell Scorpius for you, I will. I'll probably see him before you do... you know, we're in the same House and all."

If Molly hadn't had a crush on Scorpius since she had been in her second year (Scorpius and Rose in their first), Rose would have thought she was sincere in her offer. It was common knowledge that one of the main reasons Rose and Molly didn't get along was because of Scorpius. Molly resented the fact that Rose was better friends with him and that Scorpius was more interested in her cousin.

Rose just nodded. She was in no mood to get into an argument. Scorpius couldn't stand Molly; she knew it didn't matter.

Molly gave a small smile of victory and was the first to leave the office, probably to give him a sob story of how much she had loved her aunt and uncle and how terrible it was to see them die.

Rose left with Hugo, following Lily and Ginny.

Albus appeared beside her. He didn't say anything; he simply slipped his hand into her free one and they walked in silence back to the Gryffindor common room.

Harry had disappeared in the opposite direction, probably to take Louis back to Ravenclaw and Lucy to Hufflepuff.

Once inside the warm common room, Rose let go of her cousin's and brother's hands. She turned to face Hugo, placing a hand on each shoulder. "Go upstairs and sleep," she told him warmly. "We'll talk more in the morning."

Hugo shook his head. "I don't want to sleep," he said. "I can't. Did you know I have the same dormitory as Dad did? And the same bed?"

No, Rose had not known that. No one had bothered to tell her.

James came over to them. "I'll swap you beds, Hu," he said. "I don't mind sharing with some second years for a while."

Hugo nodded. "Thanks," he said. Rose could tell he was very grateful.

"Thank you, James," Ginny said to her son. "That's very thoughtful of you."

James shrugged and then glanced down at his watch. "Quidditch practice is in ten minutes. I'll just duck down to the pitch and explain to Tippet why I can't make it."

"Word will get out soon, anyway," Ginny said. "I'm sure he will understand even if you just don't show."

James shook his head. "No, the fresh air will do me good. I'll see you back here soon. And I'll tell him for you too, Al."

Albus nodded his thanks.

Lily finally let go of her mum. "I need some fresh air, too," she said. "Mum?"

Ginny nodded. "In a moment, sweetheart. I'll just make sure the others are okay." She looked to where Rose, Hugo and Albus were standing in the middle of the common room. "You will be alright if I take Lily for a while?"

The three of them nodded and Ginny smiled sadly. "I'll be back soon to check on all three of you, okay?"

They nodded again.

Lily and Ginny climbed back through the portrait hole, leaving the three of them with two seventh years. The older students paid them no attention, despite their red eyes and an ex student being in the common room.

"I'm going to go to bed too, I think," Albus mumbled.

Rose nodded. "Me too."

"I'll see you at dinner?"

Rose shrugged. "Maybe." She wasn't really in the mood to eat right now.

Albus looked at Hugo. "Come on, Hu. I'll show you which bed belongs to James."

Hugo followed willingly and Rose made her way up the girl's staircase. Like she had hoped for, the dormitory was empty, save for her owl, Quinn and Georgia's owl, Sweettooth. Both chirped happily when they saw her, her owl holding out his leg to remove a letter.

She detached it, saw the handwriting belonged to her mum and immediately threw it into her trunk. She wasn't ready to read a letter from her. It only took a day for letters to arrive from home – her parents had still been alive twenty-four hours ago.

Quinn fluttered his wings and nipped her finger.

"They're dead, Quinn," she said, lying on her bed in her school robes. "Gone. That will be the last letter they ever write to me. I'll read it when I want to."

The owl flew to rest on her bed post, hooting loudly.

"Maybe in the morning," she said, closing her eyes.

It was the next morning when she woke again.

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_**Here is chapter two and once again, thank you Pam for beta-ing it for me. I hope you enjoyed this too and you don't feel it's moving too slowly. I do have to write 50 chapters hehe. I forgot to mention before, that every five chapters, I'll be switching POVs so we can see bits from Hugo's as well. I hope I have set it out nicely so it won't get too confusing. And, also, most of the prompts will be very loosely used. **_

_**Please leave a review :) Thanks.**_


	3. Chapter 3

**_Using the prompt "oath"_**

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**Chapter Three**

By the time she went down for breakfast late the next morning, word had already spread throughout Hogwarts. She heard them whisper, she saw the looks they gave her.

Everyone knew that her parents had been killed. It wasn't that they were speaking badly of them – she didn't hear a bad word against them – it was they were discussing it all that bothered her.

Rose didn't want people discussing it; she didn't want them coming up with crazy, untruthful ways about how her parents had died. The truth was, they had been killed when they had least expected it, when they had been unprepared. It was murder and there were no heroics about it.

If there had been, they would have still been alive and she and Hugo would still have their mum and dad.

She couldn't see her brother, or any of her cousins down at breakfast when she arrived. It was late on a Thursday morning – most students were probably in class. She wondered if any of them had gone to class, or were hiding in their common rooms, thinking about what had happened.

No one but Hugo would completely understand. Most of them had just lost an aunt and an uncle. No one else had lost a mother and a father.

Only some sixth and seventh years were at the tables, some with books in front of them, others taking advantage of their free period. Yesterday, she had been all but invisible to them. This morning, all seemed to be watching her, even the ones who weren't in Gryffindor.

She ignored them. She didn't want their sympathy; she just wanted her parents.

She didn't stay in the Great Hall for long, quickly eating a small bowl of cereal before making her way back towards the common room. She was thankful that most of the students were in class. It was a peaceful walk back.

It wasn't until she had almost reached the portrait hole of Gryffindor common room that someone found her. It was Lucy.

"You okay, Rose?" she asked, her eyes and voice full of sympathy. Rose didn't mind it coming from her. It actually made her feel better.

"No, of course not," she replied kindly. "Have you seen my brother?"

"Everyone's in the courtyard," Lucy told her. "It's why I came to get you. We're just sitting out there. We're not really talking. We're just sitting with each other."

"Hugo too?" Rose asked.

Lucy nodded. "Everyone. Coming?"

"Yes." She had to see her brother. He had been so quiet the day before – which was understandable – and she needed to make sure he was okay. Her parents never would have forgiven her if she completely abandoned him. He needed her.

They walked silently through the castle. Rose had never seen it so quiet before. She suspected it got like that during the holidays, but she was never around for them. She enjoyed going home during the holidays and after everything that had happened in the past twenty-four hours, she was glad she did. What if she had only ever gone home for the summer? What if she had stayed at Hogwarts every Easter and Christmas? That would have been less time she would have had with her mum and dad.

She found her family gathered under a tree. James and Lily were perched in one of the lower branches, while Hugo, Albus and Louis were lounging against its trunk. Hugo's expression remained as it had been the day before; blank and emotionless.

Rose wondered if it had even sunk in yet. Was her brother in denial?

Unsurprisingly, the only one who hadn't joined them was Molly. Lucy seemed to know what she was thinking.

"Molly wanted to go to class..." she said. "It's not because she doesn't care, Rose. She acts like it, but I think the news affected her pretty badly. She just doesn't want to think about it."

"They were my parents," Rose argued.

Lucy nodded. "I know."

They sat beside the boys and Hugo shuffled closer to her. She rested her hand over his. "You okay?" she asked.

He nodded. "I didn't sleep at all last night. I just can't believe they're gone. I got a letter from them last night."

It reminded Rose of her own letter; the one she had put at the bottom of her trunk. "Did you read it?"

Hugo nodded again. "It was just like any other letter, but it was strange. I knew what had happened, but it didn't feel like it. They were alive when they sent that letter. You didn't get one?"

Rose looked down, her cheeks turning red. "I haven't read it yet. I couldn't."

Hugo rested his head against her shoulder. "Part of me doesn't even want to go to the funeral, you know," he continued. "It will be awful. Everyone will be crying, they will be sad. It will make me sad and it will make me want to cry."

"You're allowed to cry, Hu," Rose said.

"That's right, mate," James said from above. "No one will think any less of you if you do. I'm man enough to admit that I cried last night."

"I can't cry, though," Hugo added. "I feel like I want to, but I don't; I can't."

The bell rang, echoing through the grounds to signal the end of the morning's lessons. Slowly, students began to pile into the courtyard, some paying attention, saying a few words, while others merely looked at them with sympathy.

The first to approach them was Scorpius. He was puffing as he ran over, his eyes searching for Rose. She got to her feet, her stomach twisting into tight knots as he stood before her. She hadn't realised how desperate she had been to see him until he was in front of her.

"I heard," was the first thing he said. "I'm sorry."

"Thanks," Rose replied. She fought the urge to throw herself into his arms and cry. They weren't those kind of friends. They talked, they sat together in class and she cared about him – but they never hugged.

"You okay?" Scorpius asked. "All of you?"

No one responded, which Scorpius seemed to take as a no.

"If you need anything, just come to me." He looked at Rose again. "Anything at all. If you need somewhere to live, somewhere to sleep, somewhere to eat... just ask."

"Your intentions are noble, Malfoy," James interrupted. "But they do have family, you know. They have us."

Rose nodded. "He's right, Scorp. Thanks for the offer, but... I think we'll be staying with Uncle Harry when we go back."

A hint of disappointment flashed across Scorpius's face, before he smiled kindly. "I understand," he said. He took a step closer to Rose and clasped her hand in his own. If she hadn't been so desperate for his comfort, she would have wrenched it away.

Instead, she let him hold it and she smiled at him. "Thanks," she said.

"Anytime."

The students had vanished again to their next class. Scorpius glanced nervously over his shoulder.

"You should go," Rose told him. "I'll see you after class."

"I can stay if you want."

"I've got them." She waved her hand absently in the direction of her cousins. "I need to be with them."

Scorpius once again looked disappointed, but he did seem to understand. He let go of her hand and disappeared back into the castle.

"Put the poor guy out of his misery, Rosie and kiss him," James said from the branch he was still perched in.

Rose's cheeks turned the same colour as her hair. "Why would I want to do that?" she asked.

"Because he's been falling over his feet to get you to notice him since your second year. Little does he know, he's managed that and you're just too stubborn to tell him."

It was as if her face was on fire. Whether she liked Scorpius or not, didn't matter. Her parents had just been killed and she had to deal with that, as well as where she was going to live and their funeral. Not to mention finding out _why_ they had been killed.

Boys were the least of her priorities.

"I don't like him. He's just a friend," she said pointedly.

No one pushed the matter further.

The rest of the morning and early into the afternoon was spent sitting under the same tree. They talked a little, but mostly they just sat and kept each other company. Rose found her mind wandering as she thought about everything. This time yesterday, she had been happily sitting in Charms with Albus and Scorpius, rolling her eyes as Jasmine and Georgia gossiped about boys.

She had been blissfully unaware that someone had broken into her house, attacked her parents and managed to kill two of the best fighters to ever exist. Who had done it? Who hated them so much that they wanted to kill her parents?

But the question she really wanted answered was why had they done it? Why would anyone want to hurt her mum and dad? They were the two best people in the world. They had done nothing wrong and they didn't deserve to die.

She hated whoever killed them. She didn't know who they were, but she hated them.

"Anyone else hungry?" James asked after a long stretch of silence. "My stomach is growling."

"Mine too!" Lily exclaimed, jumping gracefully down from the branch she had been sitting in.

Slowly, everyone else began to get to their feet. Everyone except Rose. ""I'm not hungry," she told them. "I'll... I'll come down to dinner later."

James studied her, concerned. "You have to eat, Rose," he said.

"And I will, but I'd like to be left alone for now."

James didn't seem to like it, but realised he wasn't going to convince her, so he left with the others. She felt Hugo's eyes linger on her for a little longer, before he too, followed his cousins back into the castle.

Rose wasn't sure how long she had been sitting alone when someone came to sit beside her. Her initial thought was Hugo returning from lunch and she reached out to take his hand, but took it away quickly when she realised the hand belonged to Scorpius.

She blushed scarlet as she stuffed her hands into the pockets of her school robes.

"What are you doing here?" she asked defensively.

"I came to see how you were," Scorpius replied, also turning slightly pink from embarrassment. "Hugo is worried about you."

"And I'm worried about him," Rose replied. "He won't talk."

They both studied the grass they were sitting on, Rose pulling out blades absently.

It was Scorpius who broke the silence. "I'm really sorry about your mum and dad," he said. "I know you were really close to them... it must be hard."

"I wasn't close to them," Rose said. "I think they thought I hated them. I kept pushing them away, telling them I could do things by myself and I didn't need them. I told them I wanted them to leave me alone and stop treating me like I was five years old." She laughed humourlessly. "I guess they did leave me alone. They left me alone well and truly."

She knew Scorpius' eyes were on her, but she didn't look at him. What would she see? Concern? Pity? She didn't want any of that.

"I'm sure they knew how much they meant to you," he eventually said. He seemed to hesitate for a second, before reaching out and patting her knee. "I'm here if you need me."

"Thank you," Rose said.

"I mean it, Rose," Scorpius continued, misunderstanding her tone. "I'm here for you. I'll be here for you, Hugo, or any other member of your family. If you need someone to talk to, I'm here."

Rose nodded, still not looking at him. "I appreciate that, Scor," she said. "I really do."

"When will you be going home?"

Rose shrugged. "When the funeral is on, I guess."

There was another silence, but Rose found it peaceful. She liked being in Scorpius' company, she decided. She liked it when it was just the two of them.

It was he who broke the silence again. "You know, my mum always said children should be the ones to bury their parents."

"What does that mean?" Rose asked.

"That, although you miss them and you love them, if the situation was reversed, they'd probably be feeling the pain ten times worse than you are."

That was no comfort to Rose at all, because the pain she felt at losing the two people who had raised her – the ones who had shaped who she was – was more painful than anything she could ever imagine. How would it be possible for her parents to feel more pain if it had been she and Hugo who were killed?

Scorpius patted her knee again and then got to his feet. He offered her a hand, which she accepted. His hands were soft and gentle and she didn't want to let go once she was also on her feet.

He looked her directly in the eye, unblinking. She couldn't look away from the ground. She didn't want to have to look at those grey eyes she knew all too well. "Good people don't deserve to die like that," he said. "And good people don't deserve to lose their parents so young." And for the first time ever, he put his arms around her, drawing Rose close to him.

His arms were so caring, so welcoming, that she didn't pull away. She didn't _want_ to pull away. So against her better judgement, she hugged him back. For the moment, she didn't care that James had been right. She needed someone's comfort and as he hugged her, she realised it was Scorpius' she had been longing for.

* * *

_**I'm so happy that this fic has got such a positive response. It really makes me happy. I hope you enjoyed this chapter too and again, I hope it's not moving too slowly. Next chapter will change tone a little.**_

_**Don't forget to leave a review, pretty please :)**_


	4. Chapter 4

**_Using the prompt 'every cloud has a silver lining'_**

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**Chapter Four**

A week later and the time for Rose and Hugo to leave Hogwarts had finally arrived. The funeral was only a day away and every Weasley and Potter child in the castle was getting ready to leave.

It had been a terrible week. Barely any of them had attended their classes, all choosing to return to what the other students were now referring to as "The Weasley Tree". If they weren't eating or sleeping, they would be sitting under or in the tree.

Even Molly would choose to join them occasionally, but Rose knew it wasn't to be with family. She was only ever there when Scorpius was with them, but Rose didn't have the energy to argue with her, or cause a fight. As crazy as it sounded, Rose enjoyed having her cousin there too. It meant that they really were all going through the same thing – she wasn't really alone.

It was a miserable time in the Gryffindor common room as Rose reluctantly dragged her trunk down the stairs and over to the unlit fireplace. James was already there, leaning against his own trunk. When he saw Rose, he straightened slightly and watched her with sympathy.

Rose didn't meet his eye.

"You're all ready?" he asked quietly.

Rose shook her head. "Not really, but I have to be, don't I? I can't _not_ go to my own parent's funeral."

James patted her comfortingly on the back. "We're all here for you and Hugo," he told her. "You're everyone's main priority for as long as you need to be."

"Have you seen my brother?" Rose asked.

"Al's with him," James told her. There was a moment's hesitation and Rose waited for him to continue. "He had a bit of a hard time this morning, but he's all good now... well, as good as he can be."

Rose stared at her cousin in horror. "Why didn't anyone tell me?" she cried. "I have to be there for him; you know how he is. He hasn't taken this news well at all. You should have told me! I've got to go and see him."

She pushed her trunk to the side and hurried back up the staircase, this time heading towards the boys' dormitories. She was just about to open Hugo's dormitory door, when she remembered he had been sleeping in James' bed instead. She went up another three levels.

The door was slightly ajar when she reached it and upon peeking around the corner, she found her brother and her cousin sitting on what she assumed to be James' bed. Albus had his arm around Hugo's shoulder, as her brother sat there, staring pale-faced at nothing.

Rose let herself in and joined them on the bed.

"It's time to go soon, Hu," she said soothingly. "Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny are waiting for us in Gimp's office."

Hugo nodded, but didn't say anything.

"I know it's hard, but we have to do this," Rose continued. "For Mum and Dad. As hard as it would be for them if this was _your_ funeral, they'd still go. We have to do the same for them, as much as we don't want to have to say goodbye."

Over the week, Rose had been trying to imagine what it would be like going home without her parents. She had been trying to prepare herself for the emptiness she knew she would feel without them around. But she knew that no matter how much she could try and convince herself it would be okay, it wouldn't be. Whether she was going to Grimmauld Place or her own home, it would still feel empty. They were still gone, no matter where she was, and her heart understood that.

They were never coming back.

Hugo nodded again and Albus picked up his half-packed trunk. He waved his wand around the room and all Hugo's belongings flew into the trunk, which then closed with a click.

"Lily's having trouble too," Albus said. "I can't go and get her – you'll have to."

Rose nodded and got to her feet. "I'll meet you all down there in five minutes," she said, leaving the room and making her way back to the girls' dormitories. She found her cousin almost tearing her hair out with anguish.

"I don't know what to take with me, Rose," she sobbed. She looked up at Rose with puffy eyes. "I can't go."

"Yes you can, Lil," Rose assured her. "We all can do it... we all have to do it."

Lily let out another strangled sob. "I... I just miss them already," she said.

"Me too," Rose told her. "Come on, we all have to do this. You have to stay strong for Hugo, Lily. He needs people to be strong."

Lily nodded with quivering lips. "Okay."

Together, they made their way towards to common room, where the three boys were waiting. Being the adoring brother that he was, James engulfed Lily in a tight hug and didn't let her go all the way to the Headmaster's office.

Halfway along, Jasmine approached them – her school skirt pulled higher than was necessary.

"I'd just like to say," she began, "that although I won't be able to attend the funeral... I got a letter from Mum and Dad yesterday and they are going to be there. They... they wanted me to let you know."

Rose nodded. "Okay, thank you," she said. "My parents would appreciate it."

Jasmine nodded, opened her mouth as if she was going to say something else and then closed it again. She gave a short wave and disappeared.

"Don't even think about it, Al," James warned. "She'd chew you up and spit you out like a piece of gum. You deserve better than that."

"Doesn't stop her from looking good," Albus commented with half a smile.

"She's not _all_ that bad, I guess," Rose said. "She's actually quite nice when she wants to be."

"_If_ she wants to be," Lily corrected.

"Well... I like her," Rose said, surprising even herself. "I just don't like the way she behaves sometimes."

They made it to the headmaster's office with Professor Longbottom waiting out the front for them. He gave each of them a sympathetic look and then whispered the password. The spiral staircase appeared and all six of them stepped onto it.

Harry and Ginny were waiting inside; relief spreading across their faces when they saw the five children. Molly, Lucy and Louis were already there.

"We were about to send Neville to go and get you!" Ginny cried, throwing her arms around her crying daughter's neck. "We were worried."

"We wouldn't miss this," Rose replied quietly. "Never."

Ginny ran her fingers through her hair. "I know, dear," she said.

In her week away from classes, Rose had spent some time thinking of ways her parents would appreciate a funeral. It was going to be held at the Burrow, because according to Harry, many people had expressed interest in attending it and they needed room to hold them all.

Rose had been writing to her aunt and uncle almost every day with ideas. She hoped they had been listening, because she wanted the funeral to be perfect. Her parents didn't deserve any less.

"I've opened the Floo Network up for Grimmauld Place," Professor Gimp explained. "That is where you will all be going – your respective families are already there, waiting for you."

All the children nodded, telling him they understood.

"Ready?" Harry asked.

They all nodded again.

"James, you first," Harry instructed. "Then Molly, Rose, Al, Lucy, Lily, Hugo and Louis."

James took a handful of Floo Powder Gimp offered him and stepped into the fireplace. After stating where he wanted to go, the flames turned green and James was gone.

It was Molly's turn next and then Rose's. Rose braced herself as she stepped into the fireplace. She had almost as many memories of her parents at Grimmauld Place as she did in her own home. She remembered family gatherings; her dad telling stories, sitting in her mum's lap until she fell asleep. She remembered Christmas lunches, birthdays...

How was she ever meant to forget about them? It was like they didn't want her to.

"Gr-Grimmauld P-Place," she stammered through fresh tears. She knew she should have spoken clearly, but it was too late. She was being sucked through the air and before she knew it, she landed on a cold, stone floor.

As she shot out of the fireplace, she lost her balance and crashed into a highly stacked pile of cardboard boxes. They all fell on top of her.

"Stupid things!" she cried, kicking them away in frustration. She got to her feet, nursing a sore wrist. _Great_, she thought sourly. _Where am I now?_

A light turned on and footsteps could be heard coming down a set of stairs.

"Rose?"

It was her aunt, Audrey.

"How did I end up at your house?" she asked.

"You didn't, you're still at Grimmauld Place," Audrey told her. "Just... in the basement."

"They have a basement here?" Rose wondered out loud.

"They do, and lucky you made such a noise arriving, otherwise we wouldn't have known. Now, come on, let's get you cleaned up."

Rose followed Audrey up the stairs and into the kitchen, where everyone else was. She now realised she was not only covered in soot from the fireplace, but also dust and cobwebs from being in the basement.

Fleur, who had just finished cleaning Hugo, waved her wand over her and it all disappeared.

"What happened, Rosie?" James asked. "You never screw that up."

"I-I wasn't thinking properly," Rose said.

"It doesn't matter," Fleur said. "She eez 'ere now."

Harry was the last one to arrive, falling gracefully out of the fireplace. Ginny was fussing over Lily, who had at least managed to arrive at the right place, but had crashed into the table in the process.

"You and Hugo have your own rooms," Harry said to Rose gently. "We didn't think you'd want to share with anyone else, but if you'd like the company, Lily and Al would be more than happy to accommodate."

Rose shook her head. As much as she loved her cousins, she needed her own space. With the funeral less than a day away, she didn't feel like talking to anyone. She wanted to prepare; she wanted to be ready for what was to come.

There was going to be hugs, kisses and apologies at her loss (she had had it at Hogwarts – it was going to be worse at the funeral). No, she needed her space to get her head around everything. At least for one night.

"Alright," Harry said. "Professor Gimp was sending your trunks here via house-elf. They should have arrived by now. I'll show you the room and then we'll have something to eat."

The last thing Rose felt like doing was eating, but she merely nodded and followed her uncle up the many flights of stairs until he opened the door to an old and dusty room. It probably hadn't been touched until a few days ago. It now contained a bed and a wardrobe. Her owl, Quinn, was perched on the bed post and her trunk sat in the corner.

"Lunch will be ready shortly," Harry told her. "Someone will come to get you."

Rose nodded again and sat down on the bed. It squeaked under her weight. "Thank you," she said.

Harry stood with his hand on the door handle. He watched her as if he wanted to say something else, but seemed to decide against it. With one last look of sympathy, he shut it and Rose was left to the peacefulness that was her room.

She had stayed at Grimmauld Place many times – it was like a second home to her. There were many times she, along with James and Albus, had camped out in the living room, pretending to be anything they wanted to be.

It was the place she had had many Christmas lunches, many celebrations with her family. She wondered if anyone else felt the emptiness of not having her parents around. Despite all the trouble she had caused them – all the times she had said she didn't need them – now that they weren't there, she needed them more than ever.

She needed her mum's comforting arms and soothing words, telling her it would all be okay. She needed her dad's light-hearted humour, always seeing the brighter side to things. She needed them to be there for her; she needed to tell them how much she loved them and how much she missed them.

She hadn't told them that in many years; not properly.

There was a light tap at the door that distracted her from her thoughts. She thought it was someone coming to tell her lunch was ready, but it was Hugo who opened it.

"Lock the door," she said to him.

Hugo obeyed and came to sit with her on her bed. Both of them were silent for a very long time, each lost in thought. It was Hugo who spoke first.

"I'm not looking forward to tomorrow," he said.

"No one is," Rose replied. "It's going to be awful. Everyone's going to be crying and I don't want people to cry, because then I will cry... and I don't want to." She had done enough crying over the past week, she didn't want to cry anymore. Despite the funeral being the perfect time to let go, she wanted to stay strong; she wanted to be strong for her parents. She needed them to know she could look after Hugo for them – that she would be there for him.

"I don't want to cry either," Hugo said. "I don't know how to cry... I just miss them."

"Me too," Rose said. "Normally, we wouldn't even see them now, but it still feels wrong. They're gone, we'll never see them again. It sucks."

"Yeah, the others are trying to understand, but they don't. Their mums and dads are still alive. They have no idea what it's like."

"Even Uncle Harry doesn't get it. He never knew his parents; he doesn't remember them like we remember ours."

"They loved us, right, Rosie?" Hugo asked.

Rose wrapped her arms around her brother, drawing him to her. "Of course they did," she assured him. "We were the two most perfect children... who wouldn't love us?" Her attempt at humour fell flat as more tears welled in her eyes. "...they loved us, Hu, I know they did."

There was a rattling at the door as someone tried to open it. Neither Rose nor Hugo got up to unlock it.

"Rose, are you in there?" It was Ginny. She sounded concerned.

"Hugo and I both are," Rose said. "We're okay... we just want to be left alone."

"Could... could I talk to you?" Ginny asked.

"In a little while?"

"Now?"

Rose didn't reply, which Ginny seemed to take as a yes. The door opened with a click and Ginny walked into the room, stowing her wand under her clothes.

Ginny summoned a chair and sat opposite them, concern etching her features. "Lunch is ready," she said.

"We're not hungry," Rose replied, finally letting go of Hugo. "We would just like to be alone." She said it as nicely as she could. She knew Ginny and Harry were only trying to help, but they just didn't seem to understand they needed time together to wrap their heads around it.

"I know how hard tomorrow is going to be for the two of you," Ginny continued, ignoring Rose's request to be left alone. "I know that saying goodbye to your mum and dad will probably be the hardest thing either of you will ever have to do. But I just want you to know, we'll be here for you... every step of the way. You may feel alone, but you're not. You never will be."

"But we want to be alone," Rose said. "Just for now, until tomorrow."

Ginny didn't seem to want to accept her answer. "Rose... I..."

"We're okay," Rose promised her. "We just need to be together without anyone else around. Please?"

Ginny hesitated for a very long time, but eventually relented. "Okay, but on one condition; you both come downstairs for dinner tonight?"

Rose nodded. "Okay, we will."

She looked at both of them, a smile forming on her lips. "Losing them was a shock to all of us, but in every bad situation – even this one – there are always positive things."

What was possibly good about her parents dying?

Ginny seemed to read her expression. "We still have you," she said. "We still have two wonderful and strong-willed kids in our lives. Both of you have so many of your parents' qualities; it's as if they're living within you. They always will." She studied them for a moment longer. "Wherever they are now, I just know that they will be happy both of you are safe. They won't care about anything else."

Rose swallowed the lump in her throat. She wasn't going to start crying again, _she wasn't!_

Ginny gave them an encouraging smile, getting to her feet. "They loved you both so much," she said. "As do I and Harry and everyone else. When you're ready to join us, please come down. We'd love to have you with us." With that, she left, closing the door behind her.

* * *

_**Alright, here's a new chapter :) Yay! I'd like to thank DobbyLovesSocks for having a quick look over it for me (Pam is slightly busy at the moment). I hope you enjoy. This is probably my favourite chapter so far.**_

_**Your reviews are greatly appreciated so far! Please keep them coming :)**_


	5. Chapter 5

**_Using the prompt 'Any last words?'_**

* * *

**Chapter Five**

The next morning, Rose woke to a cold and dark room. It took her a long while to remember that she was no longer in the warmth that was the Gryffindor dormitories, but at Grimmauld Place – on the morning of her parent's funeral.

She blinked a couple of times to regain her vision from the light sleep that had overcome her the night before. After going down for dinner like she had promised Ginny, she then trekked right back up to her room and collapsed onto her bed for the rest of the evening.

She hadn't slept, of course. She had simply laid on her bed, thinking about the next day.

And now it had arrived.

She sat up slowly, yawning, and opened the curtains beside her bed. Outside was gloomy and overcast, as if the weather knew what day it was.

This day had been on the cards for over a week now, but it hadn't gotten any easier to deal with. She still felt the same emptiness she had after the first day and she still felt just as sad; sadder, even.

How was she going to get through the day? How was she going to be able to go to the Burrow – the place she could remember spending many holidays at – and say goodbye to her mum and dad?

Why did it have to happen to her? Why couldn't someone else have lost their parents? Why did it have to be her?

There was a clatter of pans from down below and Rose realised she wasn't the only one awake. She wondered how Hugo had slept. She hoped he had gotten more sleep than she had.

Knowing she wouldn't be able to stay in bed all day – as much as she wanted to – she climbed out and began the slow journey down to the kitchen. When she arrived, she found Ginny, Harry and her three cousins already there. There was no sign of Hugo and she had to fight the urge to go and find him.

He would come down when he was ready.

"Good morning," Ginny said, trying to sound as cheerful as she could.

Rose didn't say anything in return. It wasn't a good morning; it was the worst morning in her life. Ginny should have known that.

"Would you like some breakfast, Rose?" Ginny continued, seeming undeterred by her niece's lack of response. "I cooked bacon and eggs... there's toast and cereal if you want that."

Rose nodded, but didn't say anything. Ginny was left to try and figure out what that meant, eventually deciding on bacon and eggs.

Harry was also sitting at the table, the morning's copy of the _Prophet_ forgotten upon Rose's arrival. Rose could feel his eyes on her, but she didn't want to look at him. She knew how much her parents had meant to him too and she didn't want to see the pain at their loss in his eyes.

She had enough of her own pain to deal with.

"Rose," he eventually began. "There's something I've been meaning tell... no, ask you."

Rose continued to eat, waiting for him to continue.

"I know it's short notice, but I thought you might like to say something today... at the funeral. I mean, you and Hugo knew them better than any of us, but I don't think Hugo is in the right state to say anything."

_Neither am I_, she wanted to say. _I can't!_ But she replied with, "okay."

Harry seemed to hesitate, probably making sure he had heard right. "G-great," he said.

"Do I need to write a speech?" she then asked, still refusing to look at him.

"That's up to you, Rosie. Write something down, say it on the spot – whatever you feel most comfortable with."

Rose wasn't sure if she would be able to find the words to write down. She'd try one hundred times, only to throw it out, because she wasn't happy with what she had written. If she spoke from the heart... then there was no taking it back. That would also be dangerous.

"I'll make it up," she said.

"Whatever you feel comfortable with," Harry repeated.

OOO

Rose was actually surprised at how many people had shown up. There was her family, of course. Her grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins were all there. Teddy was there, who gave her and Hugo a warm smile as he took his seat amongst the hundreds of other people.

There were also heaps of people she didn't recognise, probably ones who worked with her parents. Harry was the one to greet them all, accepting pats on the back and warm words from everyone.

Professor Longbottom arrived with his wife, Hannah, and Lysander and Lorcan came with their parents. Both the twins waved to Rose before taking a seat on either side of Lucy.

Rose was surprised at how many of the Hogwarts professors had actually showed up. All the ones she knew had been her mum and dad's teachers when they had been at school. It warmed her to know that so many people cared – even the ones who hadn't seen them in years.

It would have made them happy.

She was just about to take her own seat – giving her brother a reassuring hug – when she heard a soft growl from behind her and then George whispering to Angelina, "What's _he_ doing here?"

Rose spun around, a cry catching in her throat as she saw who else was making their way to the funeral. In the short distance was Scorpius, marching in the direction of where everyone else was gathered, tailed by his own parents.

The last person she had expected to see there was Scorpius – she knew the Malfoy and Weasley feud had not carried onto Rose's generation, but she hadn't expected him to be there. She knew that Scorpius' dad and her parents had hated each other at school.

The last thing she wanted was for a fight to break out at her parents' funeral. They didn't deserve it.

Scorpius was the first to reach the yard, hurrying over to Rose.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, not as pleased as she thought she would be to see him. She just wanted everything to go smoothly.

"I'm here for you," Scorpius told her. "Mum and Dad wanted to... come, too."

Rose stared dumbfounded at her friend and then at his parents. Both wore emotionless expressions as George approached them, two year old Roxanne at his hip. His expression was of fury and nothing else.

"This is a time for family and those close to my brother and sister-in-law. Since you are neither, Malfoy, I suggest you turn right back around and leave. This is not a time to make a scene."

Scorpius' dad's face remained expressionless. "I don't wish to cause a scene," he said calmly. "I simply wish to pay my respects in peace. I haven't come to cause trouble."

"George, dear, just leave it. We're about to start and... we don't want to miss it." That was Rose's grandmother, Molly. She didn't look happy to see the Malfoys there either, but she seemed to know better than to say anything.

"You liked neither of them, nor did they like you, Malfoy. Why on earth would you want to _pay your respects_?" George was furious and Rose wanted nothing more than to drag him away and let Scorpius' parents attend the funeral.

This had been an unexpected turn of events, but the last thing she wanted was for it to cause trouble. Her parents wouldn't have wanted that.

_But Dad would hate it if he knew they were here_, she reminded herself.

"The wizarding community is small and I would like to think you could get past your prejudices in a time like this, Weasley," Scorpius' dad replied.

"Uncle George, please let them stay," Rose begged. "I-I just want to..." she wasn't able to finish her sentence.

Although his back was to her, Rose saw her uncle's shoulders relax and he turned around. His lips were set into a thin line, but softened when he saw Rose and Hugo in front of him.

Roxanne clapped her hands at the sight of her older cousins, laughing at them.

Without a word, he marched off in the direction of the tent, where the funeral was going to be held. Rose followed, walking with Hugo and Scorpius.

Scorpius' parents and Rose's grandmother kept a fair distance behind them.

"I'll see you afterwards," Scorpius whispered into her ear, before disappearing into the group of people. Rose and Hugo made their way to the front, where Harry and Ginny were already seated.

Ginny had a handkerchief in her hand, her eyes already red and swollen from crying. Harry reminded Rose of how Scorpius' dad had looked just moments ago – emotionless. He still put a comforting arm around Rose's shoulder, which she accepted gratefully.

She'd need all the support she could get if she was going to get through the next few hours.

Two coffins sat up the front, each with a picture of her mum and dad resting on top. Rose refused to look at them. She had chosen those pictures herself, but it just reminded her of how happy they had once been. How she had taken their love for her for granted, how she had taken life for granted and how she had just assumed they would always be there.

If she could take how badly she had treated them back, she would. She had never meant any of it – she had just wanted them treat her like an adult. But she wasn't an adult. She was a teenage girl who needed her parents more than anything, but had only realised that when it was too late.

They'd never know how much she missed them. They didn't deserve that.

Candles bobbed gently above everyone's head, letting off a soft glow under the tent. It wasn't the most traditional funeral (wizard or Muggle) but Rose hadn't wanted that. She had wanted it to be different – she had wanted it to be special – because it was a special moment. It was sad, but it was still special and she wanted her mum and dad to be remembered for everything they had done.

An old wizard dressed in traditional wizard's robes stepped up to the front. He wore glasses which were way too big for his shrivelled face and his hair was so thin it was practically non-existent.

_How come he got to live for so long?_ Rose found herself asking. _He's over one hundred and he's still alive. It's not fair._

Hugo shifted uncomfortably in the seat beside her, and Rose gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. They'd do this together.

"Family, friends and acquaintances," the old wizard began. The whispers in the crowd died instantly and everyone waited for him to continue. Rose squeezed her brother's hand tighter. "We are not here today to mourn the loss of two people who were dear to all of us, but to celebrate the life of Ronald and Hermione Weasley; a life that was filled with good times, hard times and many times in between. I'm sure we all shared moments with them that we will cherish forever and keep in our memories for eternity."

_What's with all the we's?_ Rose wondered. _You didn't know them._

"Loving parents to Rose and Hugo Weasley, a loving brother, son, daughter, aunt, uncle – they were many things to many people and loved by all."

Beside Rose, Ginny let out a quiet sob. Rose blinked away her own tears. She didn't want to cry; she hadn't even made her speech yet.

Hugo's hand found her arm and squeezed it tightly. Rose didn't dare look behind her in fear of seeing everyone's tears. She was going to be strong for this – she could cry about it later.

The old wizard continued to talk about the things her mum and dad had done. Rose listened, but she didn't take it in. She knew all that, she just wanted to get up say what she wanted to say to them and hope that they were somewhere, listening to her.

"Ronald and Hermione's relationship was a very rocky path to love. What began as a mutual dislike for one another turned to friendship and then eventually to love. It is a lesson to us all that love can be found even in the darkest corners of this world and when you least expect it. No one would have expected two eleven year olds who met on the Hogwarts Express on their first day and who clearly didn't have the time of day for each other would one day grow to care greatly for each other and fall in love and then create a wonderful family.

"Their daughter, Rose, has kindly offered to make a tribute to her parents. Rose." The old wizard looked directly at her, but Rose didn't move.

She wasn't ready to get up there yet. She still didn't know what she wanted to say – she didn't even know where she wanted to begin. There was so much swimming around in her head, but nothing was making sense.

Harry, who's arm was still across her shoulders, gave her a light nudge. She slowly got to her feet and made her way to the front of the tent. It was completely silent as everyone waited for her expectantly.

Ginny gave her an encouraging smile, wiping her eyes with the handkerchief. Scorpius' white hair could be seen amongst the group of mourners. She took in a deep breath and opened her mouth.

"Um... Mum and Dad were... were the best," she began shakily. "I don't remember a time when they weren't there for me, or Hugo, or anyone really. If we needed them for anything, then they'd be there, or they'd do it. No questions asked.

"I-I was pretty horrible to them sometimes. I told them I didn't need them, that I was old enough to look after myself and my only goodbye to them at the start of every school year was a quick hug. They embarrassed me and sometimes I didn't even want anything to do with them, but I realise now..." she swallowed the lump in her throat. "...I realise now how much... how much I do need them. I already said they were the best, but they were more than that. They were my mum and dad and I loved them... so much." Tears were now rolling down her cheeks, but she wasn't going to give up. She couldn't. "They continued to love me even if I told them I hated them and they continued to be there when I told them I didn't need them. That's them for you... always doing the opposite of what someone tells them to do.

"I'm glad they didn't listen, though, but I just wish they hadn't listened more often. Maybe then we could have had more time with them. It doesn't seem fair that they had to die, but I know my mum and dad and I know... I know..." _I know they would be glad it was them and no one else they loved_.

Rose's lips trembled. No more of her thoughts would form into words. Her whole body trembled with grief. She simply stood up the front with tears streaming from her eyes. Everyone watched her silently, unmoving.

Ginny was the only one who was brave enough to walk up to her, throwing her arms around her shaking body.

"I-I can't do it," Rose sobbed softly into her aunt's shoulders.

"It's okay," Ginny replied soothingly, rubbing her hand up and down Rose's back. "Come on, let's sit back down." She took Rose's hand and guided her back to her seat.

Rose saw tears in Harry's eyes now, too. She hadn't seen him cry once the whole time, but it was kind of comforting to know that what had happened had even brought him to tears.

Now, it was Hugo's turn to comfort her. He held her hand in his and gave her a small smile. She returned that smile.

"It's alright," he whispered.

"Are you okay?" Rose asked him.

He nodded. "Yes."

Rose noted that her brother didn't have a single tear in his eye. He had still not cried. She wanted to say something to him, but she knew it wasn't the moment. They were both dealing with this differently. Her way was to cry, Hugo's was to deal with it himself.

Who was she to judge?

Harry returned his arm across her shoulders as the wizard returned to his post at the front of the tent.

Rose knew it was going to be hard, but she had had no idea _how_ hard. She wanted nothing more than to dive into her bed and try and wake up from this horrible nightmare.

* * *

**_Thank you to the 52 reviews I have received so far :) I have appreciated every single one of them. Also, a big thank you to DobbyLovesSocks for looking over chapter 5 for me too._**

**_And, if anyone would like a fic (of any pairing, characters, etc) written for them in the month of December, just send me a PM. I have one spot left that needs to be filled. _**

**_Please leave a review and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!_**


	6. Chapter 6

**_Using the prompt 'on the roof'_**

* * *

**Chapter Six**

Hugo wasn't going to lie. It had been a hard couple of hours. He wasn't sure how many times he had played this day over and over in his head, but it hadn't been at all like he had imagined it to be.

So many people had shown up to say goodbye to his parents. So many people had sat there crying because his mum and dad were gone. He had expected people to be sad and he had expected them to cry, but he hadn't expected that... whatever _that_ was.

After the funeral, Hugo had been warned by Harry that people would want to see him. People he didn't even know would want to come up to him, tell him how sorry they were and offer their condolences. As kind as he knew they were being, Hugo was in no mood to listen to them.

He didn't want anyone to tell him how wonderful his parents were – or had been. He knew that. He had experienced firsthand what they were like and he knew them better than almost anyone. No one needed to tell him.

So he had escaped after the funeral and found a place where he would be left alone and no one would ask him questions. He was sitting on top of the roof of the Burrow, watching the events below. His parents were gone now and everyone had gathered there to support one another.

Ginny hadn't been able to stop crying all day and Rose had started after her speech. Everyone was gathered in the yard with food and drinks, talking in hushed tones. He heard a few remarks of 'where's Hugo?' but no one really thought to look up. If they did, they would have seen his long, gangly legs hanging over the edge.

Hugo wasn't sure why he hadn't been able to cry; it wasn't something he could control. It just hadn't happened. As sad as he had felt when Harry and Ginny had revealed the news, he couldn't cry. Rose had sat there and her tears had come instantly and she hadn't stopped since. Hugo on the other hand... Hugo hadn't cried once.

What did that even mean? That he didn't care about his mum and dad like everyone else did? That wasn't true; he had cared about them very much. They were the only parents he knew and he hadn't wanted to lose them. What was he supposed to do without them?

She hadn't said anything, but he was sure Rose was angry with him because he hadn't cried. She probably thought he didn't even care. But he did; he cared more than anyone, probably. He couldn't even sleep in his bed anymore because he knew it was the same one his dad had slept in during his time at Hogwarts.

As he watched his family and friends of his parents (who he didn't even know) mingle and no doubt talk about _them_, Hugo's mind wandered. He wished he had done something different – anything – that may have changed the outcome. What if he had told his mum to be careful before he had boarded the train? Would she have listened to him? No, but she probably would have listened to Rose.

Rose was the favourite – he knew that and had learnt to deal with it. She was the smartest and the oldest. He was just Hugo, the second child who everyone put up with.

What if something had been different, though? Maybe his parents would still be alive if one little thing had been different.

Something Harry had told him last night echoed in his head: _You may be missing them, Hugo and you have every right to. But I know that they will be thankful that it wasn't you and because of that, I know they're happy. The two people they loved more than anything else in the world are safe and well. They'd want nothing more._

Was that true? Hugo didn't know, but it didn't give him any comfort. His mum and dad were still gone and he would never see them again. He was twelve years old and an orphan.

Movement behind him caused Hugo to jump. He turned his head, thinking someone had finally found him, but thankfully it was only Rose. He didn't mind if she joined him. She was the only one who got it.

"Everyone's looking for you," she said. "They're worried. But I never bothered to tell them where you were."

Hugo nodded. "Thanks."

"So, what you doing up here?" she then questioned, her own legs dangling over the roof too. "It's a great place to hide, by the way."

"I just had to get away," Hugo told her. "I don't want anyone's sympathy."

"Yeah, it gets a bit tiresome," Rose confessed. "I know they mean well, but telling us they're thinking of us isn't going to bring back Mum and Dad."

"Why would someone do that to them?" Hugo asked suddenly, expressing a concern that had been bothering him for a while now. "Who'd want to kill them?"

Rose shook her head. "I don't know. And Uncle Harry won't tell us even though it's obvious he knows. He says he needs proof first... who cares about proof? If they're the reason Mum and Dad are gone, they deserve to be punished."

Hugo agreed. No one deserved to get away with murdering innocent people.

Rose put her arm across his shoulder. "They don't get it, do they?" she asked. "They think they understand, but really, they have no idea. None of them do."

They sat in silence after that, Hugo enjoying the serenity his sister brought him. He was surprised at how supportive she was being. Normally, the pair of them barely spoke to one another. It wasn't that they hated each other, but they just had different interests. Rose preferred to excel at everything she did and was more into chasing boys (Scorpius) than anything else. Hugo preferred his own space, doing his homework when it was necessary, not when he felt like it, and, really, he wasn't into girls all that much.

He and Rose hardly saw each other at Hogwarts and when they were home, they rarely interacted unless it had been forced upon them by their parents. So, the fact that his sister hadn't left his side since it had happened was confusing, yet extremely comforting.

He liked her company.

"I wonder if they can see this." Rose broke the silence that had filled the roof. Below, people were still huddled in groups, talking about one thing or another. "You know, can they see everyone who has come to say goodbye to them? Are they happy?"

"I think so," Hugo answered confidently. "Dad would love the fact that so many people have come here."

"Yeah, and Mum would be really embarrassed and try and brush it off as some other reason." Rose laughed and for once, it seemed like a genuine laugh. "They'd love this."

"I liked your speech, by the way," Hugo then told her. "It was... nice."

Rose smiled. "Thanks... I still wish I had said more, though. It didn't feel like it was enough."

Hugo shook his head. "It was more than I could ever say," he replied. "It was nice."

Below them, familiar voices interrupted their suddenly peaceful mood. It was their two grandmothers, both sounding rather angry and flustered with one another. They seemed unaware that their grandchildren were directly above them, able to hear every word they were saying.

"...what do you mean they will be safer with you? That's absolutely rubbish! Hermione did fill us in on all the trouble you had years ago. The kids would be safer living with us, away from all the... the magic!"

"We can protect them!" Molly argued. "Harry tells us it may not have been a random attack. We all know what happened and if Harry's suspicions are right, then there is a chance she will come after the kids too. I don't mean to be rude, but the truth is, if they come, you will have no chance to stop them. They will kill you all. At least with us they will have magic to protect them."

"Magic has killed _my_ daughter and two of your sons! I'm not going to put my – _our_ – grandchildren in danger too. They're the only family we have left. If what you say is true and those kids are still in danger, then surely they will be safer away from it all. We'll take them somewhere safe... we'll change our identities if we have to. We'd do anything for Rose and Hugo; we just don't want them to end up like their parents – Ron and Hermione would never want that."

Hugo chanced a glance over the edge of the roof. Both of his grandmothers were glaring at each other, each with their hands on their hips. Neither of them were going to win that battle, he knew it. They were each as stubborn as the other and each thought they were in the right.

He looked to his right, where Rose was sitting. Her face had gone bright red and her lips were pursed together in fury. Hugo was slightly worried she would jump from the roof in anger and begin yelling at both of them.

If it wasn't so high up, he would have done that too.

"Molly, dear, there is no reason to discuss this now." That was Arthur, his voice etched with grief as he tried to stay calm. "What matters is that we have lost two people dear to us and the children who are talking about have vanished."

Hugo instinctively dragged his legs closer to his chest. Rose followed suit.

"What do you mean they've _vanished?_" Molly snapped.

"No one can find them, dear," Arthur said calmly. "Hugo has been missing for a while and Rose also disappeared not so long ago. Harry's searching for them down by the stream, but no one has heard from them in a while. We've become slightly concerned; both are understandably in a bad way."

There was some grunting, scuffling and some hushed whispers and the next time Hugo looked below, there was no one there. He looked back at Rose.

"Should... should we go down?" he asked uncertainly.

Rose shook her head, apparently furious with what had just occurred. "No. Let them suffer for a while longer," she said.

"I don't want to leave the magic world," Hugo told her, his fear at what he had just heard settling in. He was twelve years old; no one was really going to pay attention to what he wanted.

"We won't," Rose promised. "We're going to live with Aunt Ginny and Uncle Harry, they told us and that's what we want, so they'll have to let us."

"Well, well, you are your parents' kids after all."

Hugo almost jumped out of his skin at the deep voice and he shot to his feet. If it hadn't been for George grabbing his wrist at the last minute, he probably would have plummeted to the ground.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rose questioned, getting to her feet slower than what Hugo did.

"It means that despite the fact that you probably would be safer with your Muggle grandparents, the two of you would prefer to throw yourself in the midst of danger. So much like your mum and dad." He grinned awkwardly at them, letting go of Hugo.

Hugo's stomach clenched. "We're really in danger?" he asked.

George shrugged. "No idea, Harry won't say anything. You probably are... but then again, if we all went into hiding in the Muggle world, we'd all be safer." He glanced behind his shoulder. "Come on, you two, do you really want to worry anyone today? Ginny is already jumping out of her skin with concern and she's started yelling at Harry for losing you. She thinks something terrible has happened to you."

"How did you find us?" Rose questioned.

"I saw you making your way up here, Rosie," George said. "And then I saw Hugo too." He held out his hand to her. "Come on, your Grandma Weasley wants to cook a lovely roast dinner for everyone."

Rose accepted his hand and George helped the pair of them to the ground. There were people still hanging around, but the crowd had significantly thinned as it was getting late. Hugo followed his sister and uncle into the Burrow.

"Oh, there you two are!" It was Ginny, her worried expression changing to relief in front of them. "Where did you disappear to?"

Hugo shrugged. "Around," he said.

"They weren't that far away," George assured her. "They just needed some time alone."

It seemed George was the only one who got it.

Ginny continued to fuss over both of them. "I'm glad you came back, though," she said. "We were all so worried."

Hugo let her drag him to the table and sat down. He had had his time alone and he felt calmer now.

He was ready to deal with what anyone else threw at him for the rest of the night.

* * *

_**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I want to thank you all for all your positive feedback on this fic. It's honestly something I am really happy with, so I'm glad it's getting good feedback! Thank you to DobbyLovesSocks for betaing it for me. Much appreciated!**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Using the prompt 'potato'**_

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

The evening was solemn with everyone lost in their own thoughts. Molly had prepared a roast dinner for them all, but barely anyone had touched the food.

Hugo hadn't even been in the mood to eat roast potatoes – something that he loved and would always request upon coming to the Burrow.

Everyone was gathered at the table which had been magically enlarged to fit them all. There was George and Angelina at one end, trying to settle their young children. Fred and Roxanne were too young to understand anything that had happened. Roxanne was barely able to talk yet. They were running between family members, trying to find someone to play with them and would get quite upset when they were repeatedly told no. No one was in the mood for laughing and smiling and pretending to have a good time today.

Percy and Audrey sat nearby, neither of them saying a word. Percy was the brother his dad had been the least close to. They hadn't disliked each other by any means, but they certainly hadn't gotten along very well.

Percy was the type of person who put work and education before any kind of fun. He encouraged Molly and Lucy to study and read all through the holidays and would only allow them out of the house once he was satisfied they had done enough work.

Hugo's dad was the complete opposite. He thought the holidays were for resting and relaxing and would get quite frustrated with Rose when she insisted on reading up on the next year's subjects to stay on top of it all. He would always tell her she was too much like her mother in that aspect and would try to coax her out onto the homemade Quidditch pitch.

Not that Rose's idea of fun was Quidditch, but it had to be better than studying during the holidays, surely? Hugo rarely picked up a book _at _school; he sure as hell wasn't going to look at one when he didn't have to.

Beside Percy was Hugo, his sister, and some of his cousins. James – who had inherited George's sense of humour – was trying to crack jokes to an unamused audience. Hugo knew he was only trying to make everyone feel better, but he really wished his cousin would give up. Normally James was able to make them all laugh, but not on a day like this. As much as he tried, no one batted an eyelid at him. Not even Lily, who normally laughed hysterically at her brother's misbehaving ways.

Everyone else sat at the other end and there was very little conversation. Hugo remembered times where he would have to raise his voice louder than he liked to be heard over the loud chatter that came from his family.

A pin dropping would be heard in the silence that filled the Burrow now. Molly wasn't even complaining about every little thing like usual. She was staring at her plate of food, but also not eating.

"You know," Rose began, breaking the very long silence.

There had been a lot of that lately, Hugo realised. Of all the times he had sat with his sister and cousins at Hogwarts, there had been very little conversation. Even when he had arrived at Grimmauld Place the previous night, he had preferred the silence. There wasn't anything to talk about unless he wanted to talk about his parents.

And he certainly didn't want to talk about them.

"This was always Dad's favourite meal," Rose continued into the waiting silence. "He always looked forward to coming here for the food."

"Yes, dear, your father was always one to enjoy his food," Molly replied. "Sometimes I wondered why he wasn't the size of a balloon."

A tiny smile appeared on the edge of Rose's mouth. She looked at their grandmother. "Could... would you be able to tell us a story of Mum and Dad?" she asked.

Hugo looked up expectantly and he realised everyone else's attention was also on his grandmother.

"What would you like to know, dear?" she asked kindly.

Hugo heard her voice shake and he wondered if Rose was asking too much after such a short time. The funeral had been only a few hours ago. They may have wanted to hear a story about their parents, but was someone ready to tell it?

"Anything," Rose answered quietly. "What... what do you remember about Dad? About Mum?" She turned to their other grandmother, who was sitting beside Molly.

Hugo could see the tension between them from their argument earlier. He hoped they would sort it out – the last thing he wanted was to have his grandparents fighting over them.

"We remember plenty of things, dear," Molly said. She thought for a moment, before allowing herself to smile. "I remember the day your dad found out he was going to have a baby..." she began.

"Me?" Rose questioned.

Molly nodded. "I remember how happy he was. He Apparated over here straight away to tell us the wonderful news. I don't think I'd ever seen him so happy before; except maybe the day you were born. He was also quite nervous, too. He was worried he wasn't going to be a good father."

"He was the best."

Hugo stared down at his hands. Did that mean he hadn't been as happy when _he_ had been born? Had he been disappointed? Angry? Upset? If he was, he knew he would never find out.

"Your dad was a funny one," George interrupted, and it seemed now that the talking had begun, it was going to be hard to stop them. "He liked to put on a front that made everyone think he would rather have a spider gouge his eyes out than show even the slightest bit of emotion. But on the inside... on the inside he had a heart that was bursting with love for... for everyone important to him, really. Love for your mum, you kids and probably every single person sitting at this table right now. He just liked to keep how he felt a secret most of the time."

"Why?" Rose questioned.

George shrugged. "It was a mystery to all of us, but my guess is that he didn't know how to deal with what he was feeling. It took him a good amount of time to work out how he felt about your mother when it was blaringly obvious to everyone else."

"He always had a good heart," Molly said, joining the conversation again. "None of you will remember this –" she looked around the table, directing her statement at Hugo's uncles, "– but when he was about six, you kids were playing outside when you found a baby bird fallen from its nest. You all spent a while with it, but as soon as the novelty wore off, the bird was forgotten.

"Ron, however, kept it in his room until it died about a week later. I don't think he wanted anyone to know what he was doing, because he would go outside at night when he thought we were all in bed to find food, or give it water..."

"I don't think Fred and I ever gave him enough credit," George said, seeming to confess something that had been on his mind for quite some time. "As dumb as he acted sometimes, he was actually quite intelligent and there's no denying how much he loved you kids." He nodded his head at Hugo and Rose. "The things he would have done for you..."

"The things he would have done for anyone..."

Another uncomfortable silence filled the room, until Hugo's other grandmother broke it.

"Hermione was the same. Brave, a big heart and very loving... I can't believe she's gone."

Her husband – Hugo's grandfather – patted her on the back as she wiped away a few stray tears. Hugo looked away. It had been nice hearing stories about his parents; he didn't want anyone's tears to ruin that.

Beside him, Rose had returned to playing with her food. The roast potatoes that Hugo loved so much lay forgotten on his own plate.

"I can't believe either of them are gone," Molly said. "I thought we had passed the days of innocent lives being lost. Any further in finding who did it, Harry?"

Harry, who had stayed silent for most of the night, looked around uncomfortably. Hugo suspected Rose's suspicions of him knowing more than he was telling them were true. His eyes darted instantly to her and then shook his head unconvincingly.

"Nothing that we don't already know," he said quietly, probably in the hope Hugo and Rose wouldn't hear.

But he was fooling himself if he thought that would work.

"Why won't you tell us?" Rose questioned quietly. "What's so bad about it that you can't tell us? How were they killed? Were they cut up into tiny pieces or something and you don't want us to know?"

"Rose..." it was a half-hearted warning from Ginny – one that Rose easily ignored.

"No! I just want to know who killed my mum and dad!" she cried.

"We don't know," Harry told her. "That's the truth. We have no proof yet, to say who did it."

"But you think you know, don't you?" Hugo joined in. He hadn't wanted to be as verbal about it as Rose, but he also wanted to know. He didn't care how young they all thought they were, someone had killed his mum and dad and they had the right to know who.

"We suspect..." Harry began.

"Who?" Rose demanded.

"I don't think this is the right time to have this conversation," Molly interrupted.

"We should know!" Rose cried. "Who do you think it was?"

Harry glanced at Ginny, who gave him a small shrug. Everyone waited patiently.

"You kids don't know about this, because your parents didn't want you to know... about eighteen months ago, your dad and I – and some other Aurors – went on a mission. It was a fairly standard mission and we encountered the usual problems... a few small duels against the wizards and witches we were after.

"We shouldn't have done it – we know that now – be we got caught in a fight in the middle of a small village. It was predominantly a wizarding village and there were children around and... one of the children was killed in the crossfire. The mother of the child was distraught – understandably – and the Aurors were in quite a bit of trouble afterwards. But after the investigation, it was discovered that the spell that killed the child... came from your dad's wand."

Hugo sucked in a breath, shocked by the news. With a brief look to his left, he saw tears glistening his sister's eyes. They had had no idea. No one had bothered to tell them.

"But... but Dad never used the Killing Curse!" Rose cried. "It must have been a mistake!"

Harry shook his head. "It was a Stunning Spell. Someone our size, it would work like it was meant to, but for a small child... there's a reason children aren't taught magic until they're eleven. Your dad was beside himself, of course. It took a lot of convincing from me, your mum... Kingsley to get him back to work. He wasn't in trouble; he was simply following orders from the Auror in charge, but he blamed himself. What if that child had been either of you?

"No one blamed him... no one except himself and the mother of that child. Someone had killed her son... of course she was angry and she wanted revenge. Why do you think your parents were adamant in keeping you close to them when you came back from Hogwarts? It wasn't because they were being overprotective, it was because they were scared... they thought... they –"

"They thought she would be after us," Rose finished. "That she wanted to kill us."

"She kept saying he would pay for what he did and naturally, his first thought was the two of you. She kept low, we could never find her and even if we did, she hadn't done anything that gave us any reason to put her into Azkaban, or even arrest her."

"She threatened to hurt them!" Rose cried. She got to her feet, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Why didn't you do anything about it? Your job is to catch bad people and she was bad! She killed them!"

Hugo tugged on her arm, silently begging her to calm down. Why did Rose have to lose her temper all the time? Why couldn't she stay calm and collected like most people? Getting upset wasn't going to bring their mum and dad back.

"We don't know that, Rose," Harry said calmly. "We don't know who killed them."

"She did it!" Rose said. "Of course she did it! Who else would have a reason to hurt them? She couldn't get to us, so she turned to the main source. And Mum was just in the way, I suppose?"

Harry shook his head, but didn't say anything.

"Sit down," Hugo begged her.

Rose ignored him.

"Alright, that's enough!" Molly interrupted, her voice strained. "We're not talking about this anymore. You heard what you wanted to hear, Rose; let's just try and stop yelling for the rest of the night, alright?"

With a cry of anguish, Rose left the table and disappeared, her loud sobs being heard as she climbed the stairs of the Burrow.

Both Hugo's grandmothers made to leave, but Ginny stopped them. "I'll go," she said. And she also left the table.

"You okay, mate?" George questioned, looking at Hugo.

Hugo simply nodded, but didn't say anything. It had been an accident! His dad had not meant to kill that child, but he had paid for it. And so had his mum.

It wasn't fair.

OOO

As he made his way up the stairs later that night, a quiet sobbing distracted Hugo. He thought it was Rose again – she hadn't stopped crying – but as he located where it was coming from, he realised it wasn't the room his sister was sleeping in.

It was his grandparents' room.

The door had been left half open and through the gap, he saw Molly sitting on the bed with her head in her hands. Arthur sat beside her, his arm across her shoulder.

Hugo swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat and continued up the stairs.

He was still the only one who hadn't cried. What was wrong with him?

* * *

_**So you have some answers... possibly :) It's so weird reading over this now, because I've actually written up to chapter 29 so, it's so different haha. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please leave a review, letting me know what you think!**_

_**Thanks so much for all your current reviews. It means so much! And to DobbyLovesSocks for beating it for me :)**_


	8. Chapter 8

**Using the prompt 'shell'**

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

_Another week gone by. That's two weeks without them_, Hugo thought sadly as he headed to the bathroom on the second floor at Grimmauld Place. It had been exactly two weeks since he had been called out of class by Professor Longbottom and taken to the Headmaster's office. It had been exactly two weeks since someone had broken into his house and killed his parents – probably out of revenge. It had been two weeks since Hugo had felt happy.

It still felt strange not having them around. He had stayed nights at Grimmauld Place countless times in his twelve years. He remembered having sleepovers with his cousins. They would camp in the living room and tell stories. Other times, he would share a room with one of them and come down to the kitchen the next morning to the cheerful conversations of his mum and dad and aunts and uncles.

The time he had spent there in the past week... it just didn't feel right. Some mornings he would go down to have breakfast, expecting to see his dad sitting at the table, eating a large breakfast, or his mum greeting him good morning with a kiss. As much as he had hated that then, he would have given anything to have her say good morning to him again. He would have given anything for her to just be there again.

"Hey."

Hugo jumped violently at the sound of the voice. He had not seen Harry standing there and it had frightened him. Everything frightened him lately – ever since he had found out who had killed his parents. He was just waiting for her to come to Grimmauld Place and finish the job.

"You okay?" Harry questioned, his voice full of sympathy.

Hugo nodded. "Yep."

"You sure?"

Hugo nodded again. "Yes. James said something about going to play some Quidditch today at the Burrow. Can I go?"

Harry seemed slightly surprised. It was the most he had said to anyone other than Rose in two weeks. He just hadn't felt like talking; he hadn't felt like explaining what he was feeling. But this morning was different. He wanted to talk; he _needed_ to talk.

"Of course," Harry eventually said, seeming to recover from the slight shock. "Does around lunch time sound good?"

Hugo nodded for a third time.

"Have you seen Rose?" Harry then questioned.

Hugo shook his head, but he knew exactly where she would be and it appeared that Harry did too. Rose only left her room at meal times.

Hugo looked up at his uncle. He had a question – something he had been wondering about for two weeks. He didn't understand. "How come they're not ghosts?" he asked. "How come I can't see them?"

"Come in here," Harry told him, opening the nearest door. It was an old, dusty room, which appeared to be used rarely. Harry moved a pile of books off a chair and indicated for Hugo to sit. He summoned another chair and sat opposite. "Not everyone comes back as a ghost," he said.

"They don't?" But, Hugo had seen all the ghosts at Hogwarts. There were a lot of them there.

Harry shook his head. "No. I hoped for the same thing once before, when Sirius – who used to own this house – died. I desperately wanted to see him and I thought I'd be able to, but I couldn't. A ghost is an imprint of one's soul. It is of those who were unhappy in their lives, or couldn't leave for some reason. To come back as a ghost, it would mean someone was suffering in their life. Your mum and dad weren't suffering. They were happy, so they moved on."

"So... I won't get to see them again?" Hugo couldn't help but feel disappointed. He had hoped that one day – maybe at Hogwarts – he would get to talk to his parents once more.

Harry's expression was full of sympathy. "You will get to see them again one day, Hugo, hopefully, it won't be for a very long time."

"I wish I had done more things with them," Hugo then said. "You know, spent more time with them. I just thought..." He trailed off.

"You thought they would be around forever," Harry finished.

Hugo nodded. "I miss them, you know," he said.

"We all miss them."

"It's not fair."

"No, it's not."

"But it wasn't fair for that little boy to die either." Hugo had been thinking about that a lot. That boy who had been caught in the crossfire... it wasn't his fault. But it hadn't been his dad's fault either. He had only been taking orders from his boss. And it wasn't like he had walked up to the boy and killed him. His dad would never have done that. Ever.

"It was an accident," Harry said. "An accident that probably should have been prevented – one that your dad never forgave himself for. Anyway, we're not sure it was her."

"It has to be," Hugo said. "Who else would want to kill them?"

Harry shook his head. "These are matters that shouldn't be concerning you, Hu. They're for the Aurors to find out – it's our job. All you need to know is that you are perfectly safe anywhere you go."

"But... what if we had been there?" Hugo asked. "Would she have killed us?"

Harry hesitated, obviously not wanting to answer. Hugo waited. He wasn't going to leave until he got an answer, and Harry seemed to realise that.

"She would have, wouldn't she?" Hugo said. "It would have been us. She wanted us."

"Hugo, you have to understand that this woman was unstable. She was grieving, she was angry, and she wanted to avenge her son's untimely death. She wanted your dad to suffer for what he had done."

"If it had happened to me or Rose, Mum and Dad wouldn't have gone and killed her because of it!" Hugo argued.

"No, they wouldn't have," Harry agreed. "And that was why your parents were so determined to keep you and Rose safe. They were scared for your safety. She had sent them threats, threatening to..." He paused.

"To kill us," Hugo continued. "But she couldn't get to us at Hogwarts, so she went for him instead."

Harry didn't say anything, but Hugo could see he wanted to say something else. He sucked in a breath as realisation came to him. He was only twelve, but he wasn't stupid. "She was after Mum, wasn't she?"

"Hugo, you really don't need to know this just yet. It's all guess work. We have no idea what actually happened and until we do, I don't want you speculating about anything."

Hugo wasn't listening. He didn't care. _She wanted your dad to suffer for what he had done_. Killing him wasn't going to make him suffer, but killing the ones around him would.

"She couldn't get to us, so she went after Mum instead," he said bluntly.

"Hugo..."

"Don't tell Rose that," he said. "She'll lose it." The last thing he wanted was for his sister to get even more upset. She was suffering worse than anyone; she didn't need any more suffering. "How did Dad die, then?"

"Hugo." This time Harry said it firmly. "I don't know anything other than what I've already told you... please stop asking." His voice was strained and Hugo knew not to continue. He'd find out eventually.

"Dad! Dad! Dad!" James appeared in the doorway, clutching his broom. Hugo had always been slightly jealous of James. He always seemed to have the latest model broom, when he wasn't even that good at Quidditch. Apparently Ginny was constantly given them (even though she had stopped playing professionally years ago) and she would give them to James or Albus. Lily wasn't on the Gryffindor team, so she was forced to have the old ones. She was never happy about that.

"Yes, James?" Harry asked, turning around so he could see his eldest son.

James looked from his dad to Hugo. "Er... I was just wondering if we were going soon?" he asked.

"Lunch time," Harry answered. "Hugo and I are busy at the moment."

James nodded, looking towards his cousin guiltily. "Alright." And he vanished.

Harry's attention returned to his nephew. "They tell me you've become quite the Quidditch player," he said warmly.

Hugo didn't meet his uncle's eye, choosing to stare at his hands instead. "Not really," he mumbled. "Still haven't made the team yet. I'm not good enough for Seeker and James is already Keeper, which is what I'm best at..." He paused. "Dad was helping me a lot," he added, swallowing hard. That thought hadn't even crossed his mind until now.

There had been so many times in the holidays Hugo and his dad would be outside, practicing Quidditch. Hugo wanted nothing more than to be on the team and his dad had been helping him. Who was going to help him now? Ginny was probably better at Quidditch, and so was Charlie... but they weren't his dad. He didn't want them helping him – it wasn't the same.

"I know; he was the one who told me."

Hugo finally looked up. "Really?" he asked.

Harry nodded. "He was rather proud, you know. Kept telling us all what a wonderful player you've become. James and Al agree, too."

"But I can't be Keeper and I'm no good at any of the other spots."

"Sure you are," Harry said. "You just have to believe that you can do it. I think you'd make a pretty good Beater."

Hugo shook his head. He was too thin to be a Beater. He didn't have enough strength.

"When we go to the Burrow later, I can help you, if you want," Harry said.

Hugo shook his head again. He wasn't ready for anyone else to help him. He wasn't sure if he would ever be. It had been something he had done with his dad and no one else. It had been their thing; he didn't want anyone else taking that away. "No... I think I'll just sit today out," he said. "I'll just watch."

Harry didn't push the matter further. "Alright, but if you ever change your mind... you know where to find me."

Hugo would never change his mind. He knew that.

Harry got up to leave, but Hugo didn't follow. It had been good talking to someone – it had felt good to open up – but he wasn't ready to talk to anyone else yet.

"I'll see you downstairs in a little while," Harry said, placing a comforting hand on Hugo's shoulder. "We love you, mate," he then added before leaving the room.

Later that day at the Burrow, Hugo actually found himself enjoying the time he was spending with his family. It hadn't been for long, but for just one moment, he had forgotten about his parents. They were gone, but he still had the rest of his family. That was something.

* * *

_**The prompt was used figuratively - Hugo coming out of his shell. Anyway, here is another chapter for you. Yay! I hope you enjoyed, and thanks so much to DobbyLovesSocks for beta-ing for me once again :) **_


	9. Chapter 9

_**Using the prompt 'loneliness'**_

* * *

**Chapter Nine**

"I wonder what everyone's doing at Hogwarts," Lily wondered out loud as she, her two brothers, and Rose and Hugo sat in the large living room at Grimmauld Place.

Rose sat on the couch with a book in her lap, paying no attention to any of them. James and Albus were on the floor, wrestling one another for one thing or another (it was a fairly common occurrence), while Hugo and Lily sat and watched.

"I don't really care," Hugo admitted.

Lily watched him for a moment and then shook her head. "I do. It's kind of getting a bit boring here. No one wants to do anything. All we ever do is sit around and... feel sad."

Behind them, Rose made a strangled noise, but when Hugo turned around, she still had her nose buried in the book.

"It would be quite nice to go back there and see all my friends again."

Hugo didn't say anything. What was Lily saying? That she was over what had happened? That she had forgotten that two members of their family had just been killed? Was she really able to just get on with her life like that?

It was still so fresh in Hugo's mind – and probably Rose's too. He couldn't even contemplate going back to school yet. He wasn't sure if he would ever want to go back. It would feel strange not having his mum and dad there saying goodbye to him.

At Lily's words, James and Albus both stopped with their wrestling match.

James looked at his little sister, panting. "You know..." he began, trying to catch his breath. "I was thinking the same thing. I miss Quidditch and believe it or not, I miss our classes too. My OWLs will be in a few months and I do kind of want to do well in them."

Another strangled sound came from Rose, followed by a snap, making Hugo aware that her book was no longer open.

_Oh no_, he thought. _She's going to lose it_.

But, before she could say anything, Harry – thankfully – appeared in the living room. "Lunch is ready, guys, if you're hungry."

James, Albus and Lily all got to their feet instantly, their cheerful voices echoing down the hallway and through to the kitchen.

Hugo and Rose remained where they were, silence filling the living room.

It was Rose who spoke first. "How can they just forget?" she asked quietly.

Hugo shook his head. "I don't know." He hadn't realised until a few moments ago, but the company of his cousins had been a great help. Having them there when Rose had locked herself away had been comforting. They were all going through the same thing and it hadn't made him feel as lonely as he possibly could have.

But now, it seemed they were over it. They were all ready to go back to their normal lives and pretend as if nothing had happened.

"It's as if they've moved on," Rose commented. "I guess..." She paused, taking in a long, deep breath. "I guess Mum and Dad were just an aunt and uncle to them. They still have their parents and plenty of other aunts and uncles."

It didn't make Hugo feel any better, not that he thought that was why Rose had mentioned it.

"I guess it's just us," Rose continued. "Just the two of us. Everyone else has seemed to have forgotten that Mum and Dad died only three weeks ago."

It made Hugo feel lonelier than ever, even though his sister was sitting only a few feet away from him. They had no one; no one who would fully understand what it was like to lose their parents.

Not in the way they had.

Their three cousins returned moments later, each carrying a plate with a sandwich on it. It appeared that James had just said something funny, because his two siblings were roaring with laughter as they returned to where they had been sitting before.

"Oh, I really wish I could be on the team," Lily sighed. "It sounds like so much fun!"

"Girls aren't really welcome on the Gryffindor team, Lil," James replied.

Lily frowned. "Why not?" she demanded.

"Because... well, there are no girls."

"But I can play!" Lily argued.

"Your best position is Chaser and we already have three excellent Chasers. Maybe when they leave..."

"I should have been put in Hufflepuff," Lily grumbled. "They allow girls on their team."

"Well, next year, we lose two Chasers, so maybe you can join then, Lil. You and Al together... they won't know what hit them. Rose's boyfriend won't stand a chance."

"He's not my boyfriend!" Rose answered angrily. Hugo almost heard her teeth grinding in frustration. Trust James to rile her up. They could be best friends one day and at each other's throats the next.

James grinned. "I love how you always know who we're talking about, Rosie. We don't even have to say his name."

Lily giggled. "Well, your _girlfriend_ goes down to watch you at Quidditch practice all the time," she teased.

Hugo had never seen James get embarrassed about anything, but Lily's words caused him to blush.

"I don't have a girlfriend," he mumbled.

"Oh, I think Lily meant your _snog buddy_," Rose said viciously.

Hugo sat there, not saying anything. Hadn't James learnt not to anger Rose? She was already sad from what had happened. She didn't need to be angered too.

"Come on, James, we're not blind, we've seen you staring at her in the common room when you think no one is looking," Albus joined in. "She's very pretty... but you do know Uncle Ron dated her mum once?"

"What?"

Albus looked up at Rose. "Who are you talking about?" he asked.

"J-Jasmine," Rose stammered.

"Yeah... didn't you know?" he questioned.

It was news to Hugo too. He knew that his parents had been friends with Jasmine and her twin brother's father at school, but neither of them had mentioned their mother. He had heard from the twins not so long ago that she had also been in Gryffindor, but didn't even know her name.

Rose stared blankly at Albus, blinking a few times.

Albus grinned. "Dad told me. Said they were permanently attached at the face or something... just like James wishes he was with Jasmine."

"We kissed once, okay!" James said. "Once!"

"And she will chew you up and spit you out like every other boy she's been with," Rose continued.

James was silent.

"Ah, she already has," Rose continued, a satisfied smile on her face. "It's why you warned Albus about her, wasn't it? Weren't you good enough for her?"

Everyone was now watching James, their sandwiches forgotten. Hugo sat in silence, wishing no one had said anything. Why did Rose always have to react in the worst way possible?

_Rose and your father are like two peas in a pod_, he remembered his mum saying once. _They can get along with someone really well one moment and the next, they're all riled up over something small._

In that moment, Hugo realised how true that was. They were a lot alike in many ways – one thing being their temper.

Why couldn't she have ignored James? And why did James have to say anything in the first place?

"She's a good kisser, for your information," James argued, now glaring at Rose. "We just... she... moved on."

Rose snorted. "As she always does."

James opened his mouth to argue again, but was silenced by Hugo getting to his feet. He looked between them, glaring. "Stop fighting," he said. "Stop it."

No one said anything. "You," he pointed at James. "Why do you have to be so mean to Rose? Especially after what has just happened? And, Lily," he turned to his youngest cousin in the room. "Why do you want to go back to Hogwarts? My mum and dad just died!"

Lily opened her mouth and then closed it again. She looked shocked. It wasn't like Hugo to lose it at all. He was normally the cool, calm and collected one. Rose was the one to lose her temper over these things.

"And Rose." Hugo rounded on his older sister, feeling the fury in his eyes. Rose looked up at him from her seat on the couch. "Stop being so... stop it, okay!"

"Stop what?" Rose asked.

"Being a bitch?" James offered.

"Sshh," Albus warned, giving his brother a reprimanding look.

"No... stop being like Dad, okay?"

Rose pursed her lips together, her eyes narrowing.

"You're so much like him and... it's reminding me... of him."

"Hugo..." Rose began, but Hugo shook his head, silencing her.

"I thought you understood," he continued. "I thought you understood that it was too soon to forget about them... but here you are... arguing with James like nothing has happened. You're all the same! None of you care!" He waved his hands around at the four other people in the room. "They've only been gone for three weeks and here you are, thinking about going back to Hogwarts or... or arguing over girls! Do you think they would have liked us arguing like this? Do you think they would like you yelling, Rose? No! They would hate it. Why can't you just keep your stupid mouth shut for once and let something pass?

"No wonder everyone in the Gryffindor common room is scared to talk to you, or tell you you're sitting in their chair. You'd just yell at them!"

The end of Hugo's speech was greeted with a shell-shocked silence. Rose blinked up at him, her mouth moving, but no words were coming out.

Behind Hugo, Lily let out a soft squeak and disappeared from the room.

Hugo wasn't going to lie. It felt good to say that to her. He had been wanting to say it for years.

"I thought we were in this together," he then said, softer this time. "But we're not. It's just me." He took one last look at his sister's shocked face and then left the room, running straight past Harry, who had returned with Lily.

"What's going on?" he heard Harry ask as Hugo made his way up to his room two steps at a time.

Hugo slammed his bedroom door shut, the walls around him rattling dangerously. Tears were threatening to fall, but he didn't care. It was about time he cried.

Anger pulsed through him, but he knew it wasn't because of what had just happened. It had never been about that. No, it was because his parents were gone. They had left him alone without a second thought. They had let themselves get killed by some woman they didn't even bother to tell him about.

He just wanted them to come back – to walk through the door and tell him it had all been a big joke.

Parents weren't supposed to die! They were supposed to be around forever.

Footsteps echoed up the stairs and Hugo braced himself for another talk by Harry. His fists banged on the door from the other side.

"Hugo! Open up! Open your door!" That wasn't Harry; that was Rose. "Hugo, let me in!"

"Go away!" Hugo cried. "Leave me alone!"

"I'm sorry, Hugo. I'm really sorry. I-I know I shouldn't have lost it like that, but... I miss them, Hu. I miss them so much." There was silence and Hugo heard her slide against the bedroom door that he was _not_ going to open for her. "You were always their favourite, you know. You were less trouble. Even as a baby."

Hugo scowled. She was just trying to make him forgive her. "No, you were their favourite," he argued. "You were smart. You made them proud."

"They loved both of us equally," Rose replied. "Leave it at that?"

Hugo sighed. He really didn't want to fight with her any more than was necessary. "Yeah, okay," he relented.

"I really am sorry, Hugo. I know you're angry at me right now, but we really are in this together. You're right."

"I wish they could understand, though," Hugo said.

"Me too, but I think we just have to accept that they never will. They're never going to understand what it's like to have someone tell you your parents are dead, unless it happens to them. And I don't want it to ever happen to them. Not like it's happened to us."

"Uncle Harry knows what it's like."

"No, he doesn't. He was a baby... we remember Mum and Dad. We remember almost everything we ever did with them. He doesn't understand... am I forgiven?" Rose then asked.

Hugo shook his head, thankful Rose couldn't see him. _No_, he wanted to yell at her. _No, you're not._

"Yeah," he said. "I guess."

"Can I come in?"

"No."

"Hugo..."

"I just want to be left alone for a while, okay? Just promise me one thing..."

"Anything."

"Please don't lose it like that ever again. You would always get into trouble for it and I don't like it when you get angry like that."

"James can just be so frustrating sometimes, though!"

"Ignore him."

"I – "

"Please?" Hugo begged.

There was a moment of silence and then a heavy sigh coming from Rose's side of the door. "Fine, I promise," she said. It wasn't as convincing as Hugo would have liked, but he let it pass.

"Thanks," he said.

"Anything for my little brother," Rose answered and Hugo heard the humour in her voice. "I love you, Hu."

Hugo sighed. He loved Rose too. Despite her fiery temper that was constantly getting her into trouble and her stubborn nature that she had inherited from their dad, she was still his sister and he loved her too.

"Me too," he mumbled.

* * *

_**So, the good news is... I have almost complete the 37th chapter of this fic, and it's going well, so it shall be finished. **_

_**The not so good news is... I'm only posting chapter 9... you see... I only send a chapter like once a fortnight to my beta (which I greatly thank for beta-ing this chapter). I'm going to try and update faster I promise (I seem to have an OCD problem with this fic... though... I won't send the next chapter unless I get 10 reviews...)**_

_**Anyway, enough of my rambling, I hope you liked. But, question of the day: did anybody else have the email problem?**_


	10. Chapter 10

**Using the prompt 'bedroom'**

* * *

**Chapter Ten**

Hugo watched from his bedroom door as Lily hauled her trunk down the flight of stairs. She was dressed in Muggle clothing, yet her neck was wrapped with the maroon and gold Gryffindor scarf. Her red hair was pulled back into a ponytail and she looked positively thrilled to be going back to Hogwarts.

Albus and James were already waiting at the bottom, laughing and talking about the next Quidditch match.

They were already discussing _Quidditch_. They really were well and truly over what had happened.

"You coming to say goodbye, Hugo?" Lily asked kindly, stopping at the next flight of stairs to wait for him. "Hogwarts isn't going to be the same without you in all my classes," she added with a smile.

Hugo shrugged and followed her down the stairs and then the next flight until they met James and Albus at the bottom.

Rose – as expected – was nowhere to be seen.

James noticed Hugo looking around. "She's already said goodbye," he said. "I don't think she was happy about it, though."

_Which is understandable_, Hugo thought. He just nodded at his cousin.

"You're okay that we're going back, aren't you?" James then questioned, now looking concerned. "You understand?"

Hugo nodded again. He understood why they had to go back. People had to move on with their lives. Hugo wished he could go back with them, but he also knew that wouldn't be a good idea.

Aside from the sympathy he knew he and Rose would get, he wasn't prepared for all the looks and special treatment he knew was to come. He didn't _want_ to be treated like he was special just because his parents had been killed. He didn't feel special at all, in fact.

He felt like there was something missing – something that would never be replaced and he just wasn't ready to face the reality quite yet.

The holidays were coming up in a few weeks and his cousins would be home again. After that, he probably would go back to Hogwarts. There really was only so much time he could spend at Grimmauld Place – especially when either Harry or Ginny were constantly checking up on him.

It was as if they thought he would sink into some kind of deep depression just because he didn't talk to them much. But it was Rose they needed to worry about. She was dealing with it a lot worse than he was – he knew she was.

Rose only got angry when she was upset. It was her they needed to check up on.

"You all packed?" Ginny came into the narrow hallway from the kitchen. She was the one who would be taking her three children through London to the Leaky Cauldron.

As the Hogwarts Express was inactive during term _and_ it was a bit much to ask for them to send it to King's Cross just for three students, a connection had been made between the Leaky Cauldron and Hogwarts for James, Albus and Lily to transport.

Why it had to be the Leaky Cauldron and not Grimmauld Place, Hugo didn't know. He never had understood the protective enchantments around Hogwarts. Not a single thing had happened in his two years there.

"You want to come and see them off?" Ginny asked Hugo. "I was thinking we could go into Diagon Alley afterwards... get an ice cream or something?"

Hugo shook his head. There she went again, trying to keep an eye on him at all times.

"I'm not in the mood," he said to her.

"How can you not be in the mood for ice cream?" James asked. "Especially from there?"

Hugo shrugged. He just wanted his cousins to leave so he could go back up to his room.

"You're weird," Lily said.

"Lily!" her mother scolded, causing Lily to turn away guiltily.

"Sorry, Hugo," she said.

"Rose says it to me all the time," Hugo told her. "I'm used to it. And, besides, I _am_ weird." He tried to smile, but failed.

Lily gave him a hug. "You're not really weird," she said. "I think you're cool."

James ruffled up his hair. "Yeah, you're not that bad for a second year," he added. "One of the better ones, anyway."

"Thanks," Hugo replied.

Ginny looked up at the clock on the wall. "Alright, we better go," she said.

"Where's Dad?" Albus questioned. "Not going to say goodbye?"

"I'm coming; I'm here!" Harry came through the kitchen door just as Albus had spoken. Harry was looking rather flustered; he'd probably had to leave work in a hurry to get there. "Sorry, I got caught up."

"In the kitchen?" Ginny questioned with raised eyebrows.

"Work stuff." Harry waved her away and gave each of his children a quick hug. "Have fun, kids!" he said, smiling at them. "And don't cause too much trouble."

"You know us; never had a detention," James replied with a shrug.

"If that were true, it would make me very happy," Ginny said, ushering them out the front door. Their voices died away slowly, leaving Hugo and Harry standing in the silent hallway.

"Well, it's going to be a lot quieter now, that's for sure," Harry said eventually. He looked at Hugo. "Whenever you feel ready to go back, just let us know, okay?" he said. "Even if it's tomorrow, we'll take you."

Hugo nodded. "Maybe after the holidays," he said.

"Whenever the time is right for you."

"Am I meant to be ready now?" Hugo wondered out loud, before he had even realised.

"No, of course not," Harry told him. "Don't worry about those three. They're just... well they're them. Always wanting to be in the action. Most holidays, they're begging to go back after a few days." He seemed to read Hugo's unspoken thoughts. "They were devastated about what happened," he assured him. "They're just dealing with it in a different way."

Hugo nodded again. "Okay."

"You want to do something?" Harry then asked. "Ginny probably won't be too long, but we – along with Rose – could maybe go to Diagon Alley... the Burrow... somewhere?"

Why was it so hard for them to accept that he just didn't want to do anything other than go up to his bedroom and not talk to anyone? Surely, they had had moments like that when they were his age? Moments where they didn't even have an excuse to do it?

He sighed. They were going to keep bothering him until he agreed.

"Alright," he said, trying his very best to sound as uninterested as possible so Harry knew he was only doing it because he was being pestered. "But good luck convincing Rose."

"Actually, it was Rosie's idea," Harry said. "She said we all needed to get out of the house – especially you. She looks out for you, mate. She really cares about you."

"Then why does she try to beat me up all the time?" Hugo questioned humorously.

Harry laughed. "I'm not sure, but I've heard little brothers can get quite annoying sometimes. Or little sisters, in your dad's case."

Hugo smiled. "I'll never know what it's like to have a little brother or sister," he said.

"So treasure your big sister, because she loves you very, very much," Harry said.

Rose came bounding down the stairs, looking almost happy.

"You convinced him to go?" she questioned, looking at Harry.

Harry looked from Rose to Hugo. "I think so?"

Hugo nodded. "Yeah, okay."

"Great." This time she did smile. "Where do you want to go, Hugo? Diagon Alley? The Quidditch shop there? Um..."

"What about that place Mum and Dad used to take us to?" Hugo asked.

Rose looked confused, as did Harry. "What place?" they asked at the same time.

Hugo looked pointedly at his sister. "You know, _that_ place."

Rose's smile faltered. "Oh."

"Either of you care to share where this place might be?" Harry interrupted.

Both of them ignored him.

"I-that was _our_ place, Hu," Rose said.

"I want to go there," Hugo argued.

"Are you talking about that area down near a river in Scotland?" Harry asked.

"How did you know about that?" Rose questioned, seeming shocked that Harry knew of a place their parents had taken them a number of times. It had been a spot they had been going to for as long as Hugo could remember. It had always been just the four of them. They never invited anyone else.

"They told me they liked to take you there," Harry said. "It had a lot of meaning to them."

"Like what?" Hugo asked. He had just thought it was a nice place they had discovered.

"Before they decided to move to Huddersfield, they considered building a house there," Harry said.

"What? Why didn't they?" Rose cried. "It's so nice there."

"I know, but they didn't think your grandparents would enjoy it all that much when they came to visit. Places like that don't really appeal to Muggles, I'm afraid. So they decided to make it kind of a holiday trip for you instead."

"They never told us that," Rose said.

"Probably because they knew you wouldn't be happy about it." Harry smiled at them. "We can go there if you want. I know where it is."

Hugo nodded, but Rose shook her head.

"That was where Mum and Dad took us," she said firmly. "It was _our_ spot."

"Is there anywhere else you want to go, then?" Harry asked.

Truthfully, now that he had thought of the spot by River Nith, Hugo didn't want to go anywhere else. It had been almost a year since he had last been there and there had been so many good memories from days spent playing by the water.

Why did Rose have to be so stubborn?

"Diagon Alley, I guess," he mumbled.

OOO

Diagon Alley was the same as any other day. Witches and wizards strolled up and down, stopping to talk when they saw someone they knew, peering through shop windows and sitting out the front of cafes.

There was never something new to do in Diagon Alley. Even George's shop was much the same. And there were only so many times one could go in there without getting bored.

But, of course, that was the first place Harry took them.

The shop wasn't as packed as Hugo ever remembered it, but that was probably because George's best customers were all at Hogwarts. A few adults strolled through with their young children, but for once, Hugo had plenty of space to move.

"Greetings."

Hugo spun around. George was coming towards them on a levitating platform, which he lowered to the ground slowly and stepped off gracefully.

"What can I help you with?" He smiled from Hugo to Rose.

"We're just looking, thanks," Rose replied and vanished to the 'school pranks' section of the shop. From the corner of his eye, Hugo then saw her make a detour to the love potions and was thankful James wasn't there to see it.

"And, Hugo, my number one customer, how can I help you?"

It was true that Hugo had once been George's tester for new inventions, which he had loved. He was always getting everything new for free, which would make his cousins or – once he started school – the other students jealous.

He just wasn't in the mood right now for anything.

Hugo shrugged.

"I've got just the thing," George said. "Follow me."

Hugo glanced up at Harry, who just shrugged. Laughing was probably what he needed, but not what he wanted. But he followed George to the back of the shop anyway.

Boxes filled the small space – more so than usual.

"I – er – haven't really been in the mood for sorting," George admitted. He disappeared behind a pile of boxes, before appearing again, clutching a small glass object that looked like a fish tank. "I was going to post this to you a while ago for your opinion, but then..." He trailed off.

Hugo took the tank from George; not because he wanted to, but because he felt obligated. "What is it?" he asked.

"Breed your own Plimpies," George answered with a wide grin.

"Plimpies?" Hugo questioned. Out of all the creatures George could have chosen, he had decided on _Plimpies_?

"They're designed for the younger ones," George continued. "Freddie and Roxie's age. They love looking after them and there's a spell on there that means they won't grow much bigger than your little finger. Perfect gift for kids, don't you think?"

Hugo wasn't going to admit it, but he thought it was a bit disappointing. What had happened to things like the Death Skates George had given him two Christmases ago? His mum had been furious after they had decided to take him up a tree and then drop him. He had broken his arm because of it, but he had thought they were pretty cool.

Strangely, they had been taken off the market pretty quickly, though.

"Yeah, they're great," he lied.

George knew he was lying. "I know it's not really your thing, but to be honest, something as calm as these might do you good. Take one for Rose too." He took out another tank and put them both inside a bag, along with two sealed paper bags. "Everything you need to know is in here," he continued.

Hugo thanked his uncle and then met Harry where he had left him. Rose had returned as well, clutching a small bag. Hugo wondered if there were love potions inside.

She refused to meet his eye.

"Who's up for an ice cream?" Harry asked.

Harry and Ginny were determined that he have an ice cream.

"Yeah, okay," he said. _Just to make them happy_.

They left the joke shop and began to make their way to Florean Fortescue's along the sunny alley.

* * *

**_Yay! Another chapter :) Thanks for all your reviews. And special thanks to both The Original Horcrux and LillyMay77 for reviewing every chapter, slightlysmall for going on a reviewing spree the other day and also reviewing every chapter, and DobbyLovesSocks for beat-ing AND reviewing. You guys are amazing :)_**


	11. Chapter 11

**Using the prompt 'scandal'**

* * *

**Chapter Eleven**

_Ron Weasley: a good man turned killer! by Evelyn Greenhope_

_On April 5, we all woke to the news that Ron and Hermione Weasley had been murdered in the early hours of the morning in their Huddersfield home. It was a devastating blow to not only their family – their teenage children in particular – but to the entire wizarding community._

_Over the years, they have made a name for themselves by helping to defeat the darkest wizard of all time, appearing on chocolate frog cards and most recently, playing a leading role in the changing of the Ministry of Magic. _

_How is it possible that two people who defeated Lord Voldemort were killed in their home without so much as a fight?_

_It is still unknown who is behind this heartbreaking loss, but rumour has it that not so long ago, Ron Weasley was involved in the murder of a child in a small village just outside Bristol. The news of this event was kept quiet by the Ministry and the Aurors, but it has come to my attention that it was Ron's wand that cast the spell on that child._

_So, what could cause a man who once fought for the greater good to kill an innocent child? And it poses the question – was Ron and his wife really murdered, or was _he_ the murderer?_

_Well, I have the answers right here. After speaking to many people who knew the family as well as looking into their lives (not only in the past few years, but their time at Hogwarts too) I have found much evidence that perhaps the young Weasley family weren't as 'good' as we thought they were._

_"He was a bit scary sometimes," confesses Dennis Creevey – the younger brother of a victim of the Battle of Hogwarts. "I stayed well away from him in most of my time at Hogwarts."_

_Theodore Nott agrees: "They accuse Slytherins of murdering people for a hobby, but look at them now. They deserved what they got."_

_It seems Ron Weasley still has those loyal to him, though. One being his fellow Gryffindor, as well as ex-girlfriend – Lavender Brown-Finnigan. _

_"I know Ron; he would never kill anyone. It was heartbreaking to learn of his death. Those poor children; it's never easy to lose one parent, but to lose both..." _

_Lavender was the victim of a werewolf attack in the Battle of Hogwarts, but has since found happiness with husband, Seamus Finnigan. _

_I never had the misfortune to meet Ron Weasley; I started Hogwarts when the three friends (Ron, Hermione and Harry Potter) were supposed to be in seventh year, but were instead gallivanting around the world in search of a way to destroy Lord Voldemort._

_What they were doing was once considered heroic; brave. But were they really brave? Much evidence points to the three of them thinking they were above the rest of the school. I have heard that Harry Potter (or, as he was known then, "The Chosen One") was nothing more than an arrogant prat who was constantly trying to act as the hero to get attention. _

_It's strange to think that three people we all once admired could turn out to be cold-blooded killers. _

_It was Ron Weasley who led that attack on the village and it was Ron Weasley's wand that killed the child. How are we supposed to worship three supposed 'heroes' when one of them – if he were still alive – should be locked away in Azkaban?_

_Think about it, readers, before you claim what a wonderful man Ron Weasley was. There was no sign of forced entry into their home, nor was there any evidence that either of them fought a third party that morning. _

_It didn't seem to bother Ron Weasley that he had killed a child, so why on earth would he be concerned about murdering his own wife? I suppose we should all just be thankful that someone so dangerous is out of the picture and that his children were safely in the walls of Hogwarts when it happened. Otherwise, we might have been looking at a triple murder._

_(For a further look into their lives, please turn to page 12)._

"Who does she think she is?" Rose cried, throwing the copy of the _Daily Prophet_ aside in anger. How could someone write that about her dad? Someone had broken into their house and killed her mum and dad and now everyone was going to think _he_ had done it. It was wrong. Her dad was a good person; he didn't deserve that.

Her parents' faces stared up at her from the paper, their expressions bright and happy. Part of her was glad that they weren't around to see what that stupid woman had written about them.

Ginny picked up the paper and scanned over it. Fury etched her face the further she read down the page. "What is this nonsense?" she hissed.

Harry, who was sitting beside Rose at the table, remained calm. He had been the first to read the article and had tried to get rid of it before Rose or Hugo had seen it. But Rose had woken early. She was now wishing she hadn't seen it.

"It's all lies!" Rose cried, tears stinging her eyes. They were tears of fury. How could someone say such a thing about her dad? It didn't make sense.

Harry placed a hand on her arm and looked at her. His eyes were soft; gentle. His tone matched his expression. "I know, Rosie."

"You said Dad didn't lead the ambush into the village!" Rose interrupted, snatching the paper from her aunt's hands. She scanned down the page until she found what she was looking for. "_It was Ron Weasley who led that attack on the village..."_

"He didn't; that woman hasn't done any research. She has just written what she wants to believe."

"No one's going to believe this, are they?" Rose then asked. She directed her question at Harry, but she was really asking both of them. Something so revolting – so _wrong_ – couldn't possibly make people believe that what she had written was true.

Harry and Ginny shared a glance and Rose knew instantly what they were thinking.

"They can't!" she cried. "It's not true."

"Rose, you have to understand," Ginny began. "Once something is published like that, it can't be taken back. Everyone who knew your dad will know that it's a whole load of rubbish, but those who didn't..." She didn't finish, but Rose knew what she was going to say anyway.

Those who didn't know her parents were going to believe it. They were going to think her dad was a murderer.

"What's on page twelve, then?" Rose asked.

"More lies," Harry replied bluntly.

"I want to read it."

"No, you don't."

Ginny picked up the paper and flipped to the said page number. After reading it, she looked even more furious than she had on the first page. "_...it appears that Hermione Weasley had been unhappy in her marriage as she was seen frequently around Muggle London and Diagon Alley with either Harry Potter, or a much older man... it is more than likely that this is the reason Ron Weasley chose to kill his wife that morning – he found out about his wife's affairs._" She spread the two page spread across the table.

There was a photo of her mother in Diagon Alley with Harry, and another one by a Muggle shopping centre with Rose's grandfather – her mother's father.

"This is just complete and utter lies," Ginny said.

"I told you," Harry replied, his tone remaining expressionless. He leaned back in his chair and took a sip from his coffee.

Rose frowned. "You don't even care," she accused, regretting it instantly. She knew he cared; he probably cared more than most. He was just very good at hiding his pain.

"Rosie, I have seen enough articles in my time about myself that..."

"This isn't about you," Rose argued. "This is about everyone thinking my dad is a cold-blooded killer when the person who killed _him_ is still out there."

"I know..."

"Do something about it," she pleaded. "And get rid of that paper. I don't want Hugo seeing it." Harry had tried and failed to prevent her from reading it, but she sure as hell wasn't going to let her twelve year old brother see anything that was in that paper.

Harry pointed his wand at the paper. "_Incendio_," he muttered and it caught alight, becoming nothing but a pile of ash on the dining table.

"Oh, I will be doing something about it," Ginny said fiercely. "Tomorrow morning, I will be walking up to that insolent _child_ and telling her exactly what I think of her and her article. She had no right!"

In that moment, Rose had no doubt that her aunt meant what she said. She loved Ginny dearly, but if truth be told, she could be quite scary sometimes. If she wasn't so furious at the journalist for writing what she did, Rose would possibly feel sorry for her.

"And the Aurors are working really hard to find who did it," Harry added. "It's our number one priority. You don't kill two well respected Ministry members and get away with it."

Rose couldn't help but wonder if Harry was talking the way he was on purpose. It was as if he didn't care. She knew of her uncle's troubled childhood, though. Perhaps he had just become immune to that kind of thing. Even when it was two people he cared for deeply.

"You do miss them, don't you?" Rose asked him. "You miss Mum and Dad?"

Harry looked at her with a soft expression and then nodded. "Every day, Rosie," he told her. "Every day."

Rose couldn't begin to imagine how she would have reacted if _she_ had been the one to find her parents there. It must have been hard for Harry – her mum and dad were his best friends. "It must have been hard finding your best friends like that," she said quietly. "I'd be devastated."

Harry nodded. "Watching friends die is hard," he said. "But your mum and dad were much more than just friends, Rosie. They were family and I loved both of them very much – we all did."

"You're not going to make us go and live in the Muggle world, are you?" Rose then asked him. Ever since the funeral and her two grandmothers had had that big argument about where she and Hugo should live, that question had been playing on her mind. She didn't want to leave the wizarding world. Yes, she had family who were Muggles, but she was a witch and that was how she had been brought up. It was who she was. Her parents wouldn't want her to never use magic.

"Why would you think that, Rose?" Ginny asked, finally taking a seat at the dining table. It seemed she had been too distracted by the article to notice she was standing before.

"I heard... at the funeral," Rose said. "Me and Hugo both did..."

Harry and Ginny shared a glance. It was Harry who spoke. "Everyone just wants you to be safe," he told her.

"We'll be safer here, where we can use magic," Rose said and Harry nodded.

"You can't blame your grandparents for thinking they can keep you safe too, though."

_Magic has killed _my_ daughter and two of your sons!_

Her grandmother's words came to mind. No, she couldn't blame them.

"Should... should we go and see them?" she asked.

Harry shrugged. "That is up to you, but I'm sure they would appreciate it if you did."

"They're worried they'll never see us again now that Mum isn't here, aren't they?"

Harry nodded. "They didn't say as much, but I think that's their main concern."

"They never did like Dad all that much."

"They did, Rose. I know they did. They loved all four of you very much."

"Can we go and see them today?" Rose asked.

"I have to work, but..." He looked to Ginny. "Would you mind taking them?"

Ginny shook her head. "I have to work too," she said. "But, I suppose I can –"

"No, don't worry," Harry interrupted. "I'd actually like to go with them."

Ginny nodded. "I'll send them an owl and let them know you're coming." She smiled at Rose and then left the kitchen.

Harry patted her hand comfortingly. "Don't worry too much about what the paper said. We know that that isn't true, and that's all that matters."

"I just don't think I can handle hearing everyone talking about my dad like that. He'd hate it."

"I know he would. But he'd also tell them where they could stick their story, too. Believe me, I've seen him do it before."

Rose grinned. It was nice being able to remember her parents with people who knew them as well as she did. And Harry had many more memories of them that she didn't have. One day, she would ask him to tell her everything he knew. She would love to hear everything he knew about them.

* * *

_**And here is chapter 11. This chapter is dedicated to Nayla (The Original Horcrux) because she apparently has no patience. And thank you to DobbyLovesSocks for her lovely beta-ing once more. **_

_**Oh, and UnicornsandRainbows2009 for reviewing every chapter :)**_

_**And to everyone else for reviewing.**_

_**I hope you like.**_


	12. Chapter 12

**Using the prompt 'hatred'**

* * *

**Chapter Twelve**

Their grandparents lived an hour outside of London in the town of Sunbury. Rose knew it was where her mother had grown up and she had visited their place frequently. The house was small, and although Rose enjoyed going there to see them, she hated staying overnight. She and Hugo would always find themselves being the ones forced to sleep on the floor of the living room, which resulted in them getting next to no sleep. She would always miss her home back in Huddersfield whenever she was there.

It felt strange going there without her parents, too. She knew that Harry was trying his very best to make them feel as comfortable with him as possible, but it was never going to work. The truth was; he was their uncle, not their mum or dad. He could try as much as he wanted, but it was never going to change the fact that she was visiting her grandparents without them.

"This it?" Harry questioned. "Haven't been here for many years."

Rose nodded. She recognised the crooked window at the front. She and Hugo had spent many days looking out of it. "This is it," she confirmed.

"They'll be delighted the two of you are coming to see them," Harry said as they made their way up the narrow path to the front door.

"Doesn't mean I'm going to change my mind and want to live with them, though," Rose replied. She turned to Hugo and smiled at him. "They can't make us," she promised him.

He nodded weakly as the door opened before any of them had the chance to knock. Her grandmother was wearing a blue blouse and matching pants. Her greying hair was pulled back and she looked positively relieved to see the three of them standing in front of her.

"Oh, darlings!" she exclaimed, pulling both Rose and Hugo towards her.

Rose held onto her, feeling the warmth and comfort her grandmother brought. She had spent the past weeks with her dad's family that it wasn't until she was standing there that she realised how much she needed something to remind her of her mum. As proud as she was of her magical heritage, she was also proud of her Muggle family. As a child, it had made no difference to her – and it still didn't. Family was family and she needed as much of them as she could get right now.

"Come in, come in," she urged, ushering the three of them inside. "Sorry, I don't have anything ready for you. I only got Ginny's letter a few hours ago. Not that it matters; we are delighted that you wanted to come and see us."

They followed her into the kitchen. There was still no sign of her grandfather.

"Where's Grandpa?" Hugo asked.

"Oh, he'll be back soon, dear," their grandmother assured him. "He was out when I found out, but I called him straight away and he's on his way back from London as we speak. It's a shame he can't just magically appear like you can, eh?" She directed the last part at Harry, who nodded uncomfortably.

Any hint of the anger and frustration Rose had seen at the wedding had disappeared. Her eyes showed tiredness that hadn't been there before, but for someone who had just lost their only daughter, she seemed to be holding up pretty well. Rose wished she had her grandmother's composure.

"Would you like anything to eat? To drink?"

Rose, Hugo and Harry all shook their heads.

"We just wanted to see you," Rose confessed. "Because... we thought you might be missing us." It was the truth. Rose's main reason for coming here was for their sake, not her own. But it brought a sense of calmness to her that she hadn't felt at Grimmauld Place.

"We were missing the two of you dearly," her grandmother said, nodding. She seemed to study them for a few moments, before smiling and turning around to pour herself a mug of coffee.

Rose and Hugo sat themselves at the table, along with Harry. He seemed awkward – as if he felt he didn't belong there. But that was strange, because he had been her mum's best friend. He knew them as well as anyone; well, she thought he did.

"Is there anything you would like to do while you're here?" They're grandmother joined them at the table, clutching her steaming mug of coffee.

Rose shook her head again. "Just talk," she said quietly.

"Of course... it must be terribly hard for the two of you losing them like that. It was a shock for all of us, really. I –"

"– Not about that!" Rose interrupted. "Anything but them, please."

"Oh, yes, of course..." Her grandmother's eyes met Rose's and she couldn't help but notice how much they reminded her of her mum's. They had the same eyes, the same face and they wore the same smile. How she missed that smile.

It seemed her grandmother was thinking on the same line, because after a moment, she smiled. "You two really do look like your father," she said.

"It's the hair," Rose answered, smiling weakly.

Everyone laughed, filling the room with much needed humour.

"Yes, perhaps it is, but... there's more to it than that too. Though, I can see your mother's qualities in both of you as well."

Rose smiled. She liked hearing that. She liked hearing that she was like both of her parents. Everyone always said she looked more like her dad – as did Hugo – but they also told her she was a lot like her mum in many ways too. Just like her mum, the Sorting Hat had debated whether or not to Sort her into Ravenclaw or Gryffindor.

It had eventually decided on Gryffindor, saying something about Weasley blood running strong in her veins when it came to hard times. Maybe this was what they Hat had meant. Maybe it had foreseen this moment and had placed her in Gryffindor instead of Ravenclaw, because it knew she wouldn't be able to think logically like a Ravenclaw should.

Gryffindors were known for their irrational thoughts at times.

Or maybe it was just the fact that she had the last name Weasley and both of her parents had been Gryffindors, so the Hat thought she should just go there. Because she certainly wasn't feeling brave right now. She wanted nothing more than to go home – to her _real_ home – and lie in her bed for the rest of her life.

"Well, enough of that for now!" Her grandmother jumped to her feet. "It's a rare, beautiful day outside and your grandfather should be home soon. How do you all feel about a picnic?"

OOO

The wind blew gently across her face as she sat with her back against the garden wall. It really _was_ a nice day outside, and while her grandparents, brother and uncle all sat under the sun, Rose found herself more comfortable in the shade.

Or, perhaps it was because she was alone. Once upon a time ago, she had been more than happy with as much company as she could find. She would rarely be anywhere in Hogwarts without someone accompanying her. But after her friends and cousins had made it clear they didn't understand, she hadn't wanted them around.

The solace was comforting. It wasn't lonely.

She had joined them all for lunch, but afterwards, had disappeared behind the shed. She remembered how she and Hugo had made cubby houses there when they were younger. They would raid the cupboards in the house for blankets, sheets, or anything else they could find and drape them over the small shrub to her left and the old, unused car to her right.

They'd play for hours there and would demand that it be left there until they returned. It never was, though. They would always have to make a new one whenever they came back to visit.

With a heavy sigh, she rested her head against the fence. It didn't matter that she was sitting in a bed of roses – _oh, the irony_ – she just wanted to be alone.

Maybe she would like to live here after all. Despite the size of the house, she felt more alone than she had at Grimmauld Place. They left her to do her own thing.

It wasn't until the sun had moved and she was no longer in the shade that they bothered to go looking for her. It was Harry who found her, joining her in the garden bed.

"We wondered where you got to... it was Hugo who said you might be here." His tone was calm – he wasn't going to disturb her if she didn't want him to.

"This was where we used to play," she told him. She looked up at her uncle. "Why don't you remember this place?"

"It's been years since I've been here, Rosie. Many, many years. After the war... your grandparents didn't really want anything to do with the magic world. Your mum brought them back from Australia, told them what had happened and they shut us out."

"Mum too?" Rose wondered. They had never been comfortable with magic – she knew that – but they had never been against it either.

"No, they wanted her to leave our world; to forget who she was."

"That's crazy!"

"They were scared, Rosie. They had just had their memories restored, only to find out that their only daughter had sent them to another country and had fought in a war... you would be too."

"But they came around eventually, right?"

Harry nodded. "Yes, they did. Your mum didn't listen to them, of course... it was a hard time for everyone, Rosie, and your mum and dad were two of the strongest people I knew."

Rose picked one of the flowers, not caring that the sharp thorns had drawn blood. "Part of me hates them, you know," she finally said.

"Who?"

"Mum and Dad. They just left us without saying anything. They never said goodbye, they never told us... they just left us alone." She said it calmly, but it certainly wasn't how she was feeling. As sad as she felt about them dying, part of her was furious that they had left her with no parents. She needed them.

"They didn't want to, Rose. They never wanted to leave you; they loved you."

"You keep saying that," Rose replied.

"And I will keep saying that until you believe me."

"If they loved us, they wouldn't have left. They would have fought and they would have survived. Maybe they were sick of us, so they thought it was better if they died so they wouldn't have to put up with us anymore. Maybe we were really awful kids. I did say some mean things to them."

"That's not true, Rosie."

How was Harry remaining so calm?

"Maybe they hated each other too."

"Never."

"Then how come they would fight all the time? They didn't love each other anymore. That has been obvious for a long time now."

"If... Rosie, if you saw the way I found them when... when I did, you wouldn't be saying that."

Rose stared at him. His eyes had suddenly filled with tears, which was not what she had intended. She was just angry with everyone. She was angry at Harry for being so calm, she was angry at the person who had killed her parents and she was furious at her parents for leaving her.

She hated them for it.

"How did you find them?" she asked quietly.

"In a way that told me they _had_ fought and that they had died... trying to protect each other. I know your parents, Rose, and the only thing they would have argued about in that moment was who was going to protect who. Both of them would have wanted to keep the other safe."

"So they were too busy arguing over that to try and keep _themselves_ safe?" It was an accusation Rose assumed Harry would shut down, but to her surprise, he shrugged.

"Perhaps."

"I wish we knew what really happened."

Harry put an arm across her shoulder, drawing her closer to him. "We all do, Rosie, we all do."

OOO

There was only one other bedroom in her grandparents' house, and normally it was occupied by her parents. Even though it took less than five seconds to Apparate back home, they did stay there as frequently as they visited. And Rose wasn't going to break that tradition just because her parents were gone.

Harry had offered to take them back home, but both Rose and Hugo had refused. Despite everything, Rose had enjoyed the day and she knew Hugo had too. It really had been good to escape the magical world. There were fewer reminders that it had been magic that had killed her parents.

Her grandmother really had had a point at the funeral.

Harry had offered to stay with them, but Rose had insisted he should go home. They would be fine without him. They probably _needed_ to be there without him.

Once upon a time ago, Rose and Hugo had fought about having to share a _room_ together. But now, they were sleeping only inches apart, sharing the bed their mum and dad had once slept in. It felt odd, but also comforting. As much as she teased him, made fun of him and fought with him, she really did love Hugo and she was worried about him. He was her brother and she had to be there for him; he had no one else.

Her brother's deep breathing let Rose know he was asleep, and as she lay there, thinking about the day's events, she heard light footsteps stop in the doorway. Then another set of feet.

"They really don't deserve this," she heard her grandmother whisper. "To lose their parents at such a young age... I can't even imagine what it must be like for them."

"They've taken it hard... naturally." That was Harry's voice. He mustn't have left yet, despite it being very close to midnight.

"I thank you, Harry... for looking after them like you have. It would have meant a lot to Hermione and Ron to know they are being well cared for."

"We all love them," Harry responded. "And... they asked us a long time ago if anything ever happened to them..." His voice became even quieter and Rose wondered if he was crying.

"I know," came the reply.

There was silence after that, but Rose knew they were still there and she didn't dare move. She didn't want them to realise she had heard them – they had thought they were having a private conversation.

"They were so proud of them." It was her grandmother who spoke first – her voice still a whisper. "And, as much as I miss Hermione – and Ron – I know they would have given their lives anyway if either of them had been in danger."

"That they would have," Harry agreed. "Anyway, I should be going. Ginny will be worried... take care of them, will you?"

"They are our first priority," Rose's grandmother promised.

"Thank you."

"We love them too, Harry. Remember that."

The footsteps finally vanished and a short while later, all the lights were switched off and Rose was left in complete darkness – and complete silence. Hugo stirred beside her, but didn't wake.

"I'm looking after him as best as I can," she said quietly, turning her head towards him. "I promise you that I am."

And she hoped that that was enough for her mum and dad. She hoped they really were proud of her.

* * *

_**I hope you liked this chapter, and I hope you're still enjoying where this is going. And thank you so much for all your lovely reviews. It really makes my day :)**_

_**And thank you DobbyLovesSock for her awesome beta-ing!**_


	13. Chapter 13

_**Using the prompt 'patience'**_

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen**

They stayed in Sunbury for two days after that. It was peaceful, relaxing and got their minds off everything. Part of Rose found herself not wanting to leave, but the other part knew that she had to. The magic world was part of who she was – she wasn't going to abandon it.

Her parents never had and they had probably been given more reason than most to do so.

"Oh, I really don't want you to leave," her grandmother said sadly, pulling both Rose and Hugo into a hug.

"We'll come back and visit all the time, Grandma," Hugo said, his voice sincere.

Rose nodded. "Every weekend if you want us to."

Their grandmother smiled at them. "That would be lovely, but we will understand if you don't. After all, you will have school and..." She studied them for a moment, before continuing. "I know you heard what I said at the funeral a few weeks ago, but... I didn't mean it, okay? I'd never dream of taking you away from your family... or who you are."

Rose hugged her tighter, blinking away some stray tears. "You're our family too," she said.

There was a _pop_ from behind them as Harry Apparated into the house. Although she tried not to show it, Rose felt her grandmother flinch at his sudden appearance.

"Harry," she said, sounding slightly exasperated. "I wasn't expecting you so soon."

"Er... sorry," Harry replied, then mumbled something about how he should have knocked.

Rose pulled away, wiping away more tears. She smiled. "See you, Grandma," she said.

"See you, Rosie, dear. And you too, Hugo."

Rose took her brother's hand and they walked over to Harry's outstretched arms. "You can stay if you want," he told them quietly.

Both shook their heads. No, they were ready to go back to Grimmauld Place.

Rose felt the familiar sensation of Side-along Apparition and seconds later, she was standing in the hallway of Grimmauld Place. Their backpacks they had taken with them to Sunbury appeared beside them.

"It's good to have you back," Harry said.

Rose smiled. "We were only gone for two days," she said.

Harry shrugged. "Still... we missed you."

Hugo was the first to move away from them and picked up his bag, slinging it across his shoulders.

"Being there was good," he announced, "but being here is better." And with that, he disappeared up the staircase, his footsteps echoing all the way along the hallways above until he found his room and closed the door.

"Thanks, Uncle Harry," Rose said, picking up her own backpack. "Thanks for taking us there."

Harry shook his head. "It was nothing, Rosie. And I'm not just saying that. They were so happy to see you again, to have you there."

Rose nodded. "I know. I was happy to see them too. We got to watch TV!"

Harry laughed. "Why am I not surprised that that was the highlight of your time there?"

"Because Mum and Dad refused to buy a TV... ever," Rose complained.

"Did you ever need one?" Harry questioned.

"Well... no, but..."

"When you have magic, Rosie, you don't need a TV. Trust me."

Rose smiled. "Yeah, but it was always exciting for us to go there and get to watch TV, you know. It was like a special treat."

"Well, let's keep it that way, yeah?" Harry walked her towards the staircase. "Take your stuff upstairs and then you and Hugo should come back down. We've got something for you."

Rose gave her uncle a questioning look, but he just shook his head, so she made her way up the flights of stairs until she reached the landing that her bedroom was on. She always liked to keep her room relatively tidy, but upon opening the door, she knew either Harry or Ginny had tidied it up while she was away. Her trunk – the one she hadn't bothered emptying since coming to Grimmauld Place – sat in the corner, locked. All her clothes had been placed into the wardrobe and her bed had been made. On top of her pillow sat a white envelope – one that she had completely forgotten about until now. Her name was staring up at her in her mum's handwriting, just asking to be read.

The last letter her parents had ever sent her.

It had to be there for a reason. Whoever had cleaned her room obviously wanted her to read it. And as much as she didn't want to, part of her was curious.

What would they have said?

Sucking in a deep breath, she picked the envelope up and opened it. She'd have to read it eventually and what better time was there than now? She was as content as she could be.

As she glanced over it, taking in every word, she slowly became more and more disappointed. It wasn't a long letter and there was nothing special inside it at all. It was just like any other letter she had ever gotten from them, unaware it was going to be their last. Still, it was special. It was the last time they would ever send her something and now that she had read it, there was no taking it back. She'd seen it now.

_Dear Rosie,_

_It's good that you're settling back in after Easter, but, of course, we miss you already. We always miss you. Dad and I were just talking about it the other day; how fast time has gone. It wasn't so long ago that _we_ were in our fourth year, but I doubt yours is as eventful as ours was. You certainly don't have a Triwizard Tournament to deal with, or anything like that._

Rose smiled. Her mum's letters were always longer than the ones her dad sent her. Her mum liked to try and get everything she could think of onto parchment, whereas her dad only wrote what he thought was relevant (which was mostly making sure she wasn't getting into trouble and asking if she was interested in any boys).

_So, how's school? You didn't really talk much about it when you were home. Is everything going well? We got a letter from the headmaster just before Easter and he told us that all your work is up to standard, which is good, and that all the teachers were happy with you. I'm pleased you're putting in a lot of effort, Rosie, but don't put too much pressure on yourself. You're allowed to have fun too (I'm saying that because Hugo mentioned that even on weekends you spend a lot of your time in the library). If you get all your work done during the week, then you will have your weekends free, which is always good (especially when the Hogsmeade weekends come around)._

_Oh, and your dad has asked me to remind you to write more frequently. Apparently three weeks is too long for him to wait to hear from you again. I know you have school to think about, but if you could write home once a week, that would be really good. We like hearing from you. And he'd probably never forgive me if he knew I was telling you this, but Hugo writes to us twice a week. _

_Well, that's really all I have to say this time. I guess not much has happened in the three weeks since we saw you. I suppose that's a good thing. No news is good news as far as I'm concerned._

_Good luck and _please_ reply soon. Love you._

_Love Mum & Dad._

"Didn't even know, did she?"

Rose glanced up from her letter, startled. She hadn't even realised Hugo had come into her room. "She had no idea," she whispered. "That, or she knew, but she didn't want to worry us."

Hugo shook his head, looking a lot older than he actually was in that moment. Rose was never going to admit it, but she often admired the maturity of her brother. Sometimes, he acted as if was the older one, the more sensible one.

More like their mum.

"She didn't know," he said confidently. "Anyway, apparently Aunty Ginny and Uncle Harry want us to come downstairs."

Rose nodded, folding up the letter and returning it to its envelope. She tucked it safely under her pillow, making her way silently back down the stairs to where Harry and Ginny were waiting for them in the living room. Her heart filled with a hope she hadn't felt since getting the news about her parents' deaths. Perhaps they had some news, perhaps they had found who had done it.

"Sit down, please," Harry requested calmly.

Rose and Hugo both obliged, sitting beside each other on the spare couch. Rose watched Harry and Ginny intently. They both seemed... happy.

_Please tell me you found her_, she silently begged. That would be the best thing they could give them.

But it seemed that what they had to give them really was _something_. It wasn't just news. There was a piece of fabric sitting on the coffee table between them, and as Harry unwrapped it, Rose saw her dad's watch, both her parents' wedding rings, and some kind of necklace she had never seen before.

"I've been pushing for weeks for the department to give these back, and yesterday, they finally did. They are what they had on when... well, they're yours now to do what you want with them."

There was a long moment where both Rose and Hugo just sat there, looking shocked. Rose didn't know about Hugo, but she had had no idea she would ever be seeing any of her parents' belongings again. She thought they had vanished along with her mum and dad.

It was Hugo who was the first to respond, leaning forward and picking up the watch. "I always wanted one like this," he said, putting it around his wrist. "Cool."

"What about their wands?" Rose asked. She couldn't help but feel a little disappointed that that was all Harry had to give her. Sure, having something that had belonged to them was nice, but it still meant her parents' killer was out there.

"It's tradition for a witch or wizard to be buried with their wands," Harry explained. He picked up the cloth that the rings and necklace were resting on and placed it in her lap. "I'm sure Hugo won't complain if you have these," he said.

Hugo shook his head, continuing to admire their dad's watch.

Rose accepted Harry's offer, picking up one of the rings so it rested in the palm of her hand. Well, at least they had still worn them. That was something, she decided. And the necklace was beautiful; she'd never seen anything quite like it before. She hadn't even seen her mum wear it.

"Anniversary gift," Ginny said to her. "First thing your dad chose without consulting anyone else first... only took him eighteen odd years to do it." She smiled slightly as if it was some kind of joke only she understood.

"It's lovely," Rose replied in awe. She ran her finger over the small talisman. It was made from gold with a red ruby in the centre. Her mum never had been a jewellery person, but no wonder she had worn that. It was stunning.

"It's goblin made," Ginny continued. "And there is something magical about it, but no one could work out what it was. Here, let me put it on you." She sidled in between Rose and Hugo and put the necklace around her niece's neck. "It suits you," she said. "Your mum loved that necklace, but she only wore it on special occasions. I'm sure she would love for you to have it."

Rose looked down at the ruby resting on her chest. It sat there limply, giving no indication that it was magical in any shape or form. "It obviously doesn't protect you," she said quietly. It did nothing.

When Ginny had moved away from her, she looked to her uncle. "You still haven't found her?" she asked.

Harry shook his head. "That's another thing that came to light yesterday... the woman in question is nowhere to be found. She was difficult to locate before all of this, but we had some Aurors watching her. But she somehow managed to escape them... on the day it happened."

"How come you're only telling us this now?"

That was Hugo, and Harry seemed just as surprised as Rose was to hear a little bit of anger in his voice. Hugo only ever yelled when he was _really_ upset.

"They've kept me out of the loop," Harry said. His voice was sincere – Rose believed him. "They think I'm too close to the case and won't tell me anything. I only found out because I overheard a conversation yesterday."

"So you have no idea where she is? No idea at all?" On a whim, Rose slid the two rings onto her finger. Both were too big for her, but she didn't care. It felt good to be wearing them.

"We're doing everything we can to find her," Harry promised. "It's the Auror's number one priority. No one goes after two Ministry members and gets away with it."

"So, you _do_ think it's her, then?"

Harry had spent the past weeks telling them over and over again they had no proof of who had done it. It seemed his thoughts had taken a different turn over the last few days.

"I do," Harry said. "She can't be found and the Aurors lost her on the day they died. It's the only thing that makes sense right now, and it's what they're going with."

Rose nodded, her attention turning to Ginny, who had just got up from the couch. She always seemed to do that when Rose could feel herself getting frustrated. Perhaps she sensed it too.

"Please find her," Rose begged, turning back to Harry as Ginny left the room. "For everyone's sake."

Harry shook his head. "Rosie, you have to believe me when I say I am doing everything I can. But my wand is tied. They won't let me near the case because I was too close to your parents. They were family."

"Then do it without them!" Rose argued. "You knew them better than any of those lousy people at the Ministry, anyway. You know what happened and you know who did it. If they have to do it by the book, let them, but you don't have to."

Harry opened his mouth, but closed it again. He seemed to see the desperation in Rose's eyes – and probably Hugo's too. It had been weeks and all they had was a watch, a necklace and their parents' wedding rings. It wasn't enough. Rose knew it and it seemed Hugo and Harry did too.

"You're their boss, aren't you?" she added.

Once again, Harry shook his head, his eyes burning with regret. "Rose, I can't do anything. I'm sorry. I know you want answers – we all do – but things have to be done in the right way. How do you think it will look if the Aurors break the law in the process of trying to find someone who also broke the law? It wouldn't look good, and it will be less likely that she will be punished for what she did. I know it's hard for you to understand, but it really is the number one priority for the Aurors right now. She's out there, Rose, and we will find her. I promise you. You just have to have some patience."

Rose sucked in a deep breath before getting to her feet. She had nothing else to say. It seemed Harry was too concerned about his own reputation to care about her parents, and Ginny seemed to want to stay out of trouble. If they weren't going to do anything about it, then she would have to figure out a way to do it herself. She was just a kid, wasn't she? They couldn't send her to Azkaban for wanting to know what happened to her mum and dad. Well, at least she didn't think they would.

"Fine," she said after a long time. "But just so you know; if the situation was reversed and it had been you, then Dad would have definitely done everything he could to try and find the person who did it. He'd never use a stupid law as an excuse for being too lazy and not caring enough to find out. He'd do anything for you."

She didn't wait for Harry to respond before she marched back down the hall and to the staircase. She felt Hugo behind her – silent – as she destroyed one of the many photos along the wall with her wand. It was conveniently one of Harry.

"It makes me so _angry_," she said to her brother, "that he can't and _won't_ do anything. Who cares about the stupid law? Somebody killed them, and they should be able to do everything they possibly can to find that somebody. It's not fair!"

Hugo's only response was to nod, looking quite fearful of the anger Rose could feel bubbling inside of her. She saw him look cautiously at the smashed photo on the floor.

"They wouldn't want this," she said. "They'd want her punished."

* * *

_**Another chapter here! I hope you like, and your reviews would be greatly appreciated. Thanks to DobbyLovesSocks for beta-ing, and thanks for everyone's lovely reviews so far. They mean a lot.**_


	14. Chapter 14

_**Using the prompt 'the harder they fall'**_

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen**

"Rose! Come on! Uncle Harry wants us to go with them. It'll be fun. Victoire and Dominique will be there. And Fred and Roxanne."

"I don't care!" Rose responded from the other side of her bedroom. "The only time I want to see Uncle Harry is when he tells us he's getting off his lazy arse and finding the person who killed Mum and Dad. And, Victoire hates me. Why would I want to see her?"

"She doesn't hate you, Rosie. That was –"

"Don't call me that!"

"Sorry. But, seriously, Victoire hated you when she was seven years old because you annoyed her all the time. She doesn't hate you anymore."

"Well... I don't like her."

"Yes, you do."

"That was where the funeral was. Why would I want to go back?"

"Because it's better than here and we won't have Uncle Harry on our backs all the time. We can play with Fred and Roxanne – no one will talk about it in front of them. They're too young."

There was a long pause until Rose eventually unlocked the door, standing before her brother with what she knew was an ugly sight. She hadn't bothered to brush her hair for two days, nor had she changed out of her clothes from the day before. After getting back from Sunbury, she had found herself not caring. What did it matter when her parents were dead? What did it matter when no one but her seemed to care?

"Sometimes, you can be really smart, Hu," she said.

"Don't call me that!" Hugo mocked. "And, I'm not smart. I'm just thinking logically."

"You're smart."

"So, are you coming?"

"Do I have a choice?"

Hugo shook his head. "Not really. Uncle Harry said that if I couldn't get you to come, he was going to come up to your room and Apparate you there anyway. But he really didn't want to have to do that."

Rose sighed. "Fine... give me a moment, though." She closed the door on her brother's face, giving him no time to respond. She waited until she heard his footsteps echoing back down the hall before she moved.

Her wardrobe was a complete mess. Clothes were poking out from the drawers and her coats lay sprawled across the floor. Her shoes had been thrown across the room numerous times and were now hiding in places Rose didn't care to look.

She didn't care about anything much, actually. She didn't care that both Harry and Ginny had knocked on her door countless times in the past day, begging her to speak to them. She didn't even care that they had tried George as well in the hope that she would talk to him. She had told him exactly the same thing as she had told Harry and Ginny – _go away!_

The only one who she had allowed into her room at all was Hugo, and that had only been because he had knocked on her door relentlessly until she had opened it.

She just didn't feel like talking to anyone. Was it really that hard to understand?

"You ready, Rose?"

Rose was snapped out of her reverie by Ginny's voice. She didn't know how long she had been standing there, staring at her wardrobe, but it must have been some time.

Or maybe it was just them being fussy again.

"I have to have a shower," she called. "I'll-I'll be fifteen minutes." She opened the door again and was greeted by her aunt's concerned face. Ginny looked her up and down, seeming to take in her revolting appearance.

Rose had covered up her mirror days ago so she didn't have to look at herself.

"Be quick," was all she said.

Rose nodded, grabbed the first clothes she found and hurried down the stairs to where the bathroom was.

The warm water over her unclean body was refreshing. She remembered the days where she was able to stand in the shower for ages, just thinking about everything and anything. She'd think about Scorpius and then scold herself for thinking about him in ways that her dad would disapprove of. Then she would tell herself it didn't matter what he thought, because she was old enough to make her own decisions.

And then her mum – or another Gryffindor if she was at Hogwarts – would come knocking on the door, telling her that she had been in the shower long enough.

How she longed for that to happen again. Part of her even stayed in there for as long as she did because she wanted to hear her mum's frustrated voice, saying how she needed to go to work.

Of course, she knew it wasn't going to happen, but she would have given anything to hear it just one more time. At least that would have meant she was still there.

"I'm sorry." The words had left her lips before she even knew what she was saying. Who was she even talking to? Herself? Or her parents? Could they even hear her?

"I'm sorry," she repeated. "I'm sorry for being such a... bitch."

Because, that was what she was. To her parents, to her brother, and to her cousins. She was moody, selfish, and had a temper that even she couldn't control. It was amazing they hadn't demanded she stay at Hogwarts every holiday. It was what she deserved.

There was a knock at the door and Rose felt her heart leap to her throat. Just maybe...

"Rose?"

Ginny. Of course it was.

"I'm almost done!" she called, dipping her head under the water one more time and then turning it off. She dried herself quickly, got dressed and met the three of them downstairs. She could see on their faces that they were frustrated, even if they tried not to show it.

She only met Harry's eye for a moment before turning away. She was still angry with him for doing nothing. He was the one who should have been doing to most. If anyone could find someone who didn't want to be found, it was Harry. She had heard the stories and she knew what he was capable of.

Why was he not doing the same thing for his two best friends – his_ family?_ It didn't make sense.

"It's amazing what a shower can do." Ginny gave her a weak smile – one that Rose didn't return. In a few hours' time, when her hair dried, she would go back to looking how she had before her shower.

But at least she _felt_ a lot cleaner.

Ginny held out her arm and Rose accepted reluctantly. She wasn't going to get out of going to the Burrow – she might as well accept that.

As expected, before she even had time to readjust to her surroundings, she had three people fussing over her. There was Molly, who commented on her appearance and then accused Harry and Ginny for not feeding her. Next was Fleur, who patted her back in a way she seemed to think was comforting, and last, was two-year-old Roxanne, who flung herself around Rose's legs.

From the corner of her eye, she saw her brother was getting the same treatment.

"Oh, it's wonderful to see the four of you again," Molly said, now directing her attention to Harry and Ginny. "We've missed you."

"Sorry, Mum... it's just been... _busy_, you know?"

"Not to worry, dears. The fact that you're here now is what counts."

Rose gave them all a weak smile, before being distracted by a tug on her hands. Fred and Roxanne had each taken hold of one and were pulling her in different directions.

"Come play!" Fred said.

"Come play!" Roxanne repeated.

"How about you leave your cousins alone?" That was Angelina, trying to drag her two children away.

"No, it's fine," Rose promised her, remembering what her brother had said before they had come. If they stayed with the younger ones, everyone would be less inclined to talk about what had happened. She looked down at the two youngest Weasleys. "Who wants to play hide-and-seek? I'll count. Ready? One... two... three..."

Their small hands let go of hers and as she counted, she could hear giggles, a shuffling of feet and the back door being opened as Hugo directed them into hiding spots (if anyone was good at finding places to hide, it was her brother).

"You really don't have to, Rose..."

Rose pointedly ignored Angelina. "Ready or not, here I come!" And she hurried out the back before anyone could stop her.

Playing hide-and-seek with Fred and Roxanne was like a Defence Against the Dark Arts class. It was loud, noisy and who she was seeking was always made easy by heads poking out from behind trees or bushes and quiet giggles when she walked straight past them, pretending not to see them.

She found Hugo first (something she always did when playing this game with them). He didn't look too happy about it, though.

"Stop being nice to them," he grumbled.

"They're four and two," she replied. "You're twelve."

"Now... where could they be?" she asked, which was greeted by a stifled laugh from behind a nearby tree. She knew Fred was hiding there – she had seen his head three times already. "I think they beat you at being the best hiders, Hugo," she added, which was followed by another giggle – this time from behind a small shrub.

They 'searched' for another ten minutes until Fred seemed to get bored of hiding and revealed himself.

"I'm the best hider ever!" he exclaimed.

"Me too!" Roxanne appeared from behind the shrub, covered in dirt and mud.

"You're too good for us," Rose replied, smiling at them.

Both of her cousins beamed.

"My turn to count now!" Fred said. "One... two... three... five..."

"Four."

"Seven... eight... nine..."

Rose sighed and began making her way to the same tree Fred had just appeared from. Roxanne followed.

"You go and hide over there, Roxie," she said, pointing to her grandfather's shed. Roxanne could hide anywhere in there and Fred would never find her. He probably wouldn't even think to look in that direction.

"Okay!" Roxanne replied and ran off.

Fred had reached twenty and was still counting, so Rose rested her head against the trunk and waited. He would probably find her easily, but she didn't care. She was only playing to keep them entertained... and to keep her mind off everything else.

"Ready or not, here I come!"

Surprisingly, it took her cousin a good ten minutes to locate her and that was only because she got sick of waiting and made herself visible to him.

"Found you, Rosie!" he exclaimed cheerfully. "You have to keep your legs hiding."

"Sorry," Rose apologised. "I didn't think you'd see me here."

She helped Fred locate Hugo, who was hiding behind a large rock and then directed him to the shed she had told Roxanne to hide in.

Once they reached it, Rose saw that the door was locked and there was no way her two-year-old cousin could have opened it.

"She's not in there," Fred stated.

"No... she's not." Rose looked around, but there was no sign of Roxanne anywhere. "Roxie?"

There wasn't even a giggle, which was unusual.

"She's really good at hiding," Fred commented, peering under an old bench.

"Hm... she is."

"Where'd she go?" Hugo whispered.

Rose ignored the small amount of fear that had appeared in the pit of her stomach and shook her head. "I told her to hide in Grandpa's shed... but it's locked."

Where had Roxanne gone? She was only small and the Burrow's yard was huge. She could have been anywhere.

"You do know you're supposed to look out for them, don't you?"

Rose nodded. "She normally does everything I tell her to do."

"And Grandpa normally keeps the shed locked when everyone's here."

"Well everyone _isn't_ here, are they?"

"Roxie!" Fred called, seeming undeterred by his sister's disappearance. He just thought it was part of the game, that she had found a really good hiding place. "Roxie, where are you?"

"Maybe up there, Freddie," Hugo suggested, pointing up the small incline. Rose had spent many days sitting on top of the hill with James and Albus.

Fred ran up the hill which looked over the Muggle village below. "Not here," he said. "Maybe she's down there?"

"I don't think she would go that far," Rose replied.

"It would be a really good hiding place."

"Yes, but..." Rose didn't want to think about what else could have happened. What if Roxanne _had_ gone down to the village? She could have been anywhere, and it would be all Rose's fault. She had been too concerned with her own problems to even check to see that her young cousin had actually made it to the shed. If she had just glanced back to make sure, she would have seen that it was locked and seen where Roxanne had gone.

"Let's go!" Fred said excitedly.

"We can't," Hugo replied.

"But Roxie's down there."

"Not necessarily, Freddie," Rose told him. "We still haven't looked over there." She pointed to another mound and the four-year-old instantly ran over to it. She and Hugo followed.

"Not here. Roxie!"

"What's all this yelling?"

Rose spun around, repressing a sigh. Of all the people who had to come out, it just _had_ to be George. Sure, he was fun and could tell a good joke when he wanted, but he was going to be furious once he found out they had lost Roxanne.

"Roxie is hiding really well and we can't find her," Fred announced, causing Rose and Hugo to glance uneasily at each other.

"I'm sure she's around," George answered. "Have you checked inside?"

Rose wasn't sure how well she disguised the relief on her face at her uncle's words. Of course Roxanne would have been inside! George had probably seen her. In fact, he had probably given her the hiding spot.

Fred beamed. "Roxie!" he called, running towards the building. "Roxie, I'm coming to find you."

"I'd suggest you tell him where she is after five minutes," Rose said. "He took a long time to find me behind that tree."

"I actually have no idea where Roxanne is hiding," George replied. "But she is quite sneaky. No doubt she's found a comfortable cupboard in one of the bedrooms to hide."

"But you didn't see her?" Rose asked.

George shook his head. "Why?"

Rose glanced at her brother again. He looked just as concerned as she felt. "Nothing. I just... never mind... I'm sure Fred will find her eventually."

"I doubt it. Lunch will be ready in a few minutes anyway. We'll find her then. You two wanting to come inside?"

With one last look at the village below, Rose followed her uncle back inside. She hoped with all her heart that Roxanne really was somewhere in there and that they would find her quickly.

But it seemed that her hiding spot was even _too good for the grown-ups_, as Fred had put it after everyone had spent a good twenty minutes searching for her inside the Burrow.

From experience, Rose and Hugo (and George and Ginny) knew every single good hiding place there was, and Roxanne was in none of them. They searched high and low – inside and outside – and couldn't find her anywhere.

By this time, Rose was panicking. She had lost her little cousin. She was the oldest; she had been responsible for her. And she had lost her.

"I'm sure she's around," Rose heard Ginny say to a now distressed Angelina. "I bet she's somewhere really obvious and thinks it's all just part of the game..."

"Roxie, we're not playing anymore!" George called from atop the mound that overlooked the Muggle village. "If you can come out now..."

Nothing.

"I'll have a look down in the village," Harry said calmly. "You keep looking for her here." He began the descent down the hill, not appearing to have much confidence that she would actually be there.

"I'll-I'll look that way," Rose said, pointing in the direction of the Burrow's boundaries. The grass was long over there – perhaps Roxanne was hiding between them.

"You better find her."

Rose had never heard Angelina so angry before. Not at her.

"Roxie!" she called after she had jumped the fence. "Roxie. Are you here? Roxanne!"

Not a sound.

"Come on, Roxanne, this isn't funny anymore. Everyone's really worried... Mummy and Daddy are really scared." _And no one could handle another death in the family_.

She had trekked so far out that she could even see Mr. Lovegood's house in the far distance. It was growing darker by the second and she knew she would have to turn back soon, except she didn't want to have to. What if they never found Roxanne? Everyone would blame her – like she deserved.

It was her fault. It was _all_ her fault. She should never have come today. She hadn't even wanted to.

"Wosie!"

Rose spun around. "Roxie? Roxie, where are you?"

A small head of dark hair appeared between the grass. "Here!" she said, her teeth chattering. "I hided all this time."

"Thank goodness you're okay," Rose said, scooping the two-year-old into her arms. "Everyone was really worried."

Roxanne was shivering uncontrollably in the afternoon coolness. It was coming into summer, but the late afternoons were still rather cold.

Rose walked back to the Burrow as quickly as she could and the moment she appeared back over the fence, Roxanne was snatched from her arms by a furious Angelina.

"Where have you been?" she cried, hugging her daughter to try and warm her up.

"Hiding... got scared, Mummy..."

"I bet you were," Angelina responded. "Come on, let's get you inside and all warmed up." She didn't even look at Rose as she headed back into the house.

Rose followed, keeping a wide distance between herself and her aunt.

Molly had found a blanket and had put it around Roxanne's small body. She was still shivering from being outside and by herself for so long.

Rose watched from the doorway. Neither woman paid her any attention.

"I'm really sorry," she said.

Angelina's eyes bore into her. Rose had never been more afraid of her aunt than she was in that moment. "She was your responsibility," she said bluntly.

"I-I know. I didn't think she'd go that far. I –"

"You're supposed to keep an eye on them," Angelina continued. "They're only little."

Victoire appeared beside her, holding a hot water bottle.

"The point is, she's safe and well," Molly interrupted, seeming to sense Angelina's anger. "That's all that matters."

Angelina didn't look at her again, and Rose felt ridiculous just standing there, not doing anything. Her presence clearly wasn't wanted, so she found Ginny, Harry and Hugo in the living room, and the moment she saw them, her tears came. She had tried not to cry, but the day had just gone from bad to worse.

"I didn't mean to," she sobbed. It was Hugo who came to comfort her, which she appreciated. "And now they hate me."

"They don't hate you," Hugo assured her.

"She could have died!"

"But she didn't," Harry said. "You found her."

"You made a mistake, Rose." That was Ginny.

"And I was there too," Hugo added. "I should have been watching her as well."

But all Rose could think about was how disappointed her parents would have been in her. There had been times when she had acted immature, but never had she done anything like that before. Of all the times she'd cared for Fred and Roxanne, she'd never let anything happen to them.

George and Angelina had always trusted her with them and she'd let them down. What if something had happened to Roxanne? There were snakes in that grass – she could have been bitten.

Part of her was glad her parents hadn't been there. She couldn't bear the thought of seeing their disappointment. Why was she constantly letting them down – even when they were gone?

"Come on." Ginny was the first to get to her feet. "Let's go and eat lunch-turned-dinner now that Roxanne has been found."

Rose shook her head. That would mean she would have to face _Angelina and George's_ disappointment. That was just as bad. They'd never trust her with their children again.

"Come on, Rosie... please?"

Rose looked to her brother. Wasn't she supposed to be the one looking out for him? Yet, he had been the stronger one ever since it had happened.

With a sigh, she nodded. For him, she'd do anything.

* * *

_**I'm pretty sure this is the longest chapter I have so far! Thanks to the lovely Joanna for beta-ing this for me once again, and... and... I've actually finished writing this! All 50 chapters are done! This has an ending, so it's safe to say that this fic will not be abandoned :) I feel accomplished.**_

**_Please leave a review! I'd love to hear what you have to say! Thanks!_**


	15. Chapter 15

_**Using the prompt 'commute'**_

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen**

Rose woke to a surprisingly sunny morning. The sunlight from the open window was shining in her eyes, causing her to groan. And she had actually been sleeping for once...

She sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes from the deep, dreamless sleep she had been in. There had been no nightmares of a faceless woman coming into her bedroom and killing her on the spot; no images of her parents' or Hugo's bodies lying at the door of her bedroom. It had been a while since she hadn't seen that and it felt good.

There were many voices coming from downstairs and for a moment, she thought her cousins had returned from school. But it was only May... May sixteenth...

She gasped. Hugo's birthday! How had she forgotten about it? She hadn't even gotten him anything and she doubted anyone else had remembered either. And Hugo being Hugo wasn't going to remind them. He would just sit there and hope that someone would wish him a happy birthday.

Climbing out of bed, she made her way quickly down the stairs and into the kitchen to the sound of voices. She was greeted with laughter and the sight of Harry, Ginny, Molly and Arthur. There were presents sitting on the table beside Hugo, who looked partly overjoyed and partly embarrassed from all the attention.

The sight also sent a wave of guilt rushing through her. It seemed _she_ had been the only one to forget.

"Happy birthday, Hu," she said, kissing his cheek. He wiped it away with a look of disgust, but thanked her anyway.

Everyone was now watching her expectantly, as if waiting for her to magically conjure a present from behind her back.

"I... er..." She bit her lip, thinking fast. "So, my present to you is... today we'll do whatever you want to do!" She grinned at him, only to see the hint of disappointment on her brother's face.

"You forgot, didn't you?"

"Hugo, I'm sorry... I remembered the moment I woke up..." There was no point in lying to him. Hugo was quiet, but he was observant. Not much escaped him. "But I do mean it. We can do anything you want to do. Anything at all."

Hugo seemed to think about it for a few moments, his eyes darting around the room to everyone. No one said a word. Rose had promised him anything and they all knew he was probably thinking of _anything_.

Eventually, he turned back to her. "I was thinking," he began slowly, "I really want to see our house."

Rose swallowed. She had been afraid he would say something like that. "O-okay," she answered. "Is that possible, Uncle Harry?"

Harry seemed to be slightly surprised at what Hugo had just said, but nodded anyway. "If that's what the two of you want to do... they've finally cleared your house of a crime scene, so it shouldn't be a problem. The Aurors on the case have been altering your neighbour's memories over the past few days – they now only recognise your faces, but don't know you."

That saddened Rose slightly. She had been quite close to some of her neighbours, but she also understood why it had been done. If they knew her parents had been killed, they'd start asking questions, and that wasn't good. Her neighbours were Muggles.

Harry looked at the two of them with great concern. "Are you sure you're both ready?"

Rose wanted to shake her head and scream that she wasn't at all ready to see the place her parents had been killed, but for Hugo's sake, she didn't. From the moment Harry and Ginny had come to Hogwarts to tell them what had happened, he had dealt with the news differently than she had. He wanted to be close, where as she was more than happy to be as far away as possible from the reminder of what she had lost.

"There's a lot of stuff I want to take back here," Hugo replied calmly. "And... I just want to see the house again." He shrugged.

"Who would you like to go with you?" Ginny asked.

"Uncle Harry," Rose and Hugo answered in unison. He had been the one to find their parents, it was only right that he come back with them.

"But, you all can come if you want," Hugo added.

Ginny and Molly both turned away, but Arthur nodded. "If you don't mind?"

Hugo shook his head. "You can see the house too," he said.

"I just have one request," Rose interrupted. "Can we... can we drive there?" she asked. "I know it takes a long time, but... I'll _need_ that time."

Harry looked at Hugo, who nodded. "Yeah, okay."

The rest of the morning went by quickly. Rose ate little breakfast, while she watched Hugo open his presents. Harry and Ginny had given him – much to Hugo's absolute delight – another broomstick that had once been Ginny's. It wasn't the very latest model, but it was better than the one Hugo currently had, and brand new. As an ex Quidditch player, she was handed broomsticks all the time, but she no longer had much use to them. Most of the time, she gave them to her own children, making them the subject of envy at Hogwarts. Hugo had always been jealous, so Rose was pleased that finally, he had his own.

Molly and Arthur gave him a book of advanced charms (because if there was any subject Hugo excelled at, it was Charms) and George had sent some old stock from his shop.

It seemed that even some of their cousins had remembered his birthday, as Lily and James had even sent presents. It was no surprise to anyone that nothing came from Albus. He did have a reputation for having a really bad memory.

"I hope all goes well," Ginny said just as they were ready to leave. She whispered something into Harry's ear that Rose couldn't hear and he nodded. The next thing she knew, she was in the car with her brother, uncle and grandfather and they were on their way to Huddersfield.

It was a pretty dull trip, and if it had been any other occasion, she would have been more than happy to travel via the Floo Network. She couldn't even remember the last time she had used the car to get from Grimmauld Place to her own house. It seemed unnecessary to use some slow, Muggle invention when a wizard could get there in a few seconds by simply using a fireplace.

But this time, she enjoyed that it took around four hours. She simply sat, staring out the window, watching other cars drive past and then the meadows and paddocks as Harry drove further into the country.

No one spoke, except for the few attempts Harry tried to make at idle conversation.

What was she going to do there? What was her house going to look like? She knew it wouldn't be the case, but part of her was terrified she would see her parents' bodies. It was stupid, she knew that, but it was a fear she had.

And what about all her things? She only took the essentials to Hogwarts, and that was what she had been living off of at Grimmauld Place. She still had so many things in her room at _home_. She missed her books and her clothes and the posters she had put up. She missed waking up in a bed that she knew and having breakfast in a kitchen that was familiar to her. Hogwarts had always been school and Grimmauld Place had always been a holiday.

She'd always felt the most comfortable in Huddersfield.

In what seemed like no time at all, Harry turned into the driveway she knew all so well. _Their_ car was still there. It was sitting there as if it was waiting for someone to get in and start driving. She hadn't expected that; hadn't Harry said the neighbours' memories had been altered so they didn't recognise them? Didn't they find it strange that a car sat in a driveway of an unoccupied house?

Still, something comforting settled inside her at the sight of it. They only ever used the car to drive to and from King's Cross and, on the occasion, to their grandparent's house in Sunbury.

"You ready?" Harry turned around from the front seat to look at them. Hugo was the first to respond, opening the car door and climbing out. Rose followed, more reluctant than her brother appeared to be. Would there be blood? Would there be any marks to show where it had happened?

She hoped not.

They walked up to the front door, where Harry took out his wand and removed the charms that kept their house locked up. It was just as she remembered it. They had kept the car and the spells. The only thing missing were her mum and dad.

As soon as Harry opened the door, she was greeted with the familiar smell of her house. Hugo was the first to enter, pushing the door wider. There was the staircase leading to her room, the living room in front of her and the archway that led through to the kitchen and the backyard.

It all seemed so normal and undisturbed. It was as if nothing had happened.

Hugo walked across the living room and entered the kitchen. Everyone followed him, curious as to what he was looking for. He found it straight away; a photo.

"I realised a few weeks after we left that I left it behind and forgot to get that frame thing I was going to get and Mum said in her last letter that she had put it there to remind her to do it for me. She was going to do it... that day." He looked down at the photo, saddened.

Rose took it from him. It was a photo of Hugo and Lily that had been taken over the Easter break. "I'll get it framed for you, Hu," she said. "It's my _real_ present to you."

Hugo looked up at her. "Really?"

Rose nodded. "Yeah, I'll do it tomorrow in Diagon Alley." She put the photo into the bag she had been carrying. "I promise."

Hugo smiled. "Thanks," he said.

Harry had returned to the living room with Arthur, and Rose and Hugo joined them. He was looking around the room as if he had never seen the place before. His eyes were sad and Rose wondered if he was going to cry. It hadn't been the first time she had wondered that.

What was it about guys and not crying?

"W-was it in here?" she asked him softly. She had never asked him where he had found them, nor had he willingly given them the answer. It seemed to be a mutual understanding between all of them that they really didn't need to know.

But now that she was there, standing in the place her mum and dad had been murdered in, she might as well know. She would find out eventually, anyway, wouldn't she?

Harry turned to her, his expression blank, and shook his head. "No, it was upstairs... near their room."

So, they hadn't even made it past the top landing.

"Can you show me?" she asked.

For a moment, Harry seemed set to argue with her, but apparently thought better of it. He nodded bleakly and headed for the stairs. Rose followed, tailed by her brother and grandfather. There was nothing unusual that she saw as she followed her uncle along the hallway towards her parents' bedroom. There was definitely no blood, or anything else that indicated someone had died there. No, she had used the Killing Curse.

Rose hoped it had been painless.

Three feet from the bedroom door, Harry stopped and faced the wall. "It was here," he said miserably. "They..." He visibly swallowed. "They were slumped against this wall... it looked as if they had been sleeping, actually."

"How did you know then?" Rose questioned, her voice a whisper.

"I just knew," was Harry's only response.

All four of them stared at the spot for a long time. A few tears trickled down Rose's cheeks and she didn't care to wipe them away. This had been the spot it had happened. They deserved all the tears she had.

Harry was the first to break the silence. "I... I think your mum was... was the first," he said. "And, I think she tried to protect your dad... that was how it looked, anyway. Only three people know what happened that morning and two of them aren't here to tell us."

"Three aren't, actually." They were the first words Rose had heard her grandfather speak since entering the house. He looked as miserable as Harry and Hugo did, and as upset as Rose felt. Just like she had lost her parents and Harry had lost his best friends, Arthur had lost his son.

Harry nodded. "They're working on it," he promised. He looked back at the empty space in front of him and shook his head. "Excuse me," he said, and vanished into the bathroom opposite them.

Rose turned in the other direction and headed for her own bedroom. No one followed, so she presumed Hugo had gone to his as well.

The door was completely open, her bed made... it looked exactly as she had left it.

For a while, she just sat on the bed, taking in everything. To her left was her poster of Oliver Wood. She wasn't that much of a Quidditch fan, but... he was nice to look at every night before falling asleep. The perch Quinn normally slept on was in the corner opposite her, empty. He was probably still at Grimmauld Place. He had no need to return here.

Many summers she had spent there, writing letters to her friends, crying over something that had happened, or telling her parents to leave her alone. For the first two days of the Easter holidays, she had refused to speak to either of them. She couldn't even remember what her reason was anymore, but no doubt it had been something stupid. Their fights were always stupid.

_She's just being a teenager_, she would hear people say over and over again. And she had been the absolute worst teenager and daughter imaginable at times. What happened to the times when she had stepped off that train and thrown herself into her mum's arms and told her how much she had missed her? She hadn't done that since Christmas of her third year.

After a while, she decided she should probably start packing. She found a spare suitcase stuffed under her bed and as quickly as possible she began filling it with everything she could find. Her clothes were first and after it filled, she cast an Undetectable Extension Charm to fit more. She didn't care what the Ministry said, if they said anything at all. It was a simple spell, which as of five years ago, underaged wizards were allowed to do in their own home.

She threw in her books, things she hadn't even looked at since she had been seven; old birthday presents... everything she could find; everything that reminded her of home. Once she had basically cleared her room (though there was still plenty more left), she dragged the heavy bag into the hallway. No one was around, so she decided to wander to her parents' room.

It surprised her when she found her brother also in there. He was crouched down, looking at something in the wardrobe that wasn't visible to her from where she was standing.

"What is it?" she asked, startling him.

He looked up at her, his eyes red and watery. He was crying. _Finally!_

"I-I can't be sure," he said. "But, I think it was their birthday present... to me."

Rose joined him, putting an arm across his shoulders. He was shaking as he tried not to cry anymore. She crouched down beside him and Hugo opened a box to show her.

"They-they knew us so well," he said, choking on his words. Inside the box was a _Create-Your-Own-Spell_ kit. Hugo enjoyed creating spells and he was rather good at it too. They weren't anything that would be written into spell books, but the ones he had showed Rose, she had used occasionally. He was only twelve – no, thirteen now – so they were simple ones, but she still admired him for it. She was good at the ones she was taught at school, but she would never be able to come up with new ones like Hugo could.

"Take it," she said. "It's yours."

"You don't know that."

"Who else do you know that likes to create and modify spells? They got it for you, Hu. They wanted you to have it."

Hugo stared at the box. "I didn't even know something like this existed."

Rose pointed to the symbol down the bottom.

"Uncle George," Hugo said. "Of course."

"Many people like to try their hand at making up their own spells," Rose told him. "It's just... most people aren't all that good at it. You're an exception." She lifted the box up and placed it in her brother's hands. "It's yours," she said. "And I know you'll make good use of it."

Hugo accepted it, looking at her intently. It was as if he wanted to say something else, but couldn't seem to find the words.

"What?" she questioned.

"I..." Hugo seemed to come to himself in that moment and shook his head. "Nothing. I just thought of something, but it doesn't matter. You wouldn't care."

"Try me."

Hugo shook his head stubbornly. "You really wouldn't care."

If they had been at Hogwarts, or at home after a normal school year, Rose would have forced it out of him. But over the past few weeks, she had come to understand that Hugo would talk in his own time. There was a lot more to her little brother than being annoying. It was a shame she was only coming to realise that now.

There was a shuffle at the door that distracted both of them. Harry was standing there, his eyes red. It was weird to see him crying. She'd never seen him cry before – her Uncle Harry who had faced a lot more than most people in their lives and he was crying.

"Are the two of you hungry?" he asked miserably.

Rose looked at her brother, who shrugged. She turned back to her uncle. "Yeah, a little," she said.

Harry nodded. "You know this area better than me... are there any good places to eat?"

Rose thought about it and as she did, she realised she didn't actually know Huddersfield all that well. She knew her street and a few of the parks nearby, but that was about it. It was predominantly a Muggle town, so whenever they needed to go somewhere, they went to Diagon Alley.

"There's this cool cafe not far from here," Hugo interrupted. "I went there once with Mum. I'm not really sure of anywhere else, though."

Harry smiled weakly. "It sounds good," he said. "Whenever you're ready."

Rose climbed to her feet and dragged Hugo with her, who was holding the box close to his chest. "We're ready now," she said.

Hugo nodded. "As ready as we'll ever be."

* * *

_**This is probably one of my favourite chapters. I hope you're liking it. I'd love to hear what you all have to say about it. Please don't leave without reviewing :) And thank you to Jo for beta-ing once more :D**_


	16. Chapter 16

_**Using the prompt 'drawer'**_

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen**

Hugo did have something he wanted to tell Rose, but at the last minute, had decided against it. His birthday present wasn't the only thing he had found in his parents' bedroom, but he didn't know what to do with it. If Rose had seen it, she would have lost it. She would have snatched it from him and demanded they never look at it again. He knew her too well to know she wouldn't react any other way.

So, although he knew telling her would have been the right thing to do, he decided to keep the information to himself. At least for now.

"Thank you for taking us today, Uncle Harry," Hugo said after they had returned from Huddersfield later that evening. It had been a long way to drive in a day, but he appreciated it. He had wanted to see the house for some time now, but he had known it was also going to be hard. It was as if nothing had happened there. There was nothing that indicated his parents had been killed; no sign of a struggle. Nothing.

Whoever had killed them had fired two Killing Curses straight at them and after that, they were gone. It was hard to think about what had happened on that morning. He didn't want to think about it. Harry said they would find out eventually, but eventually could mean two years away. Hugo wasn't sure if he could wait that long.

"No problem, mate. I was actually starting to think it was time the two of you went back to see it. I just..." Harry didn't finish his sentence, but Hugo nodded to show he understood. It had been hard for Harry too, to have to go back and relive that morning. Hugo and Rose were lucky – they hadn't seen their parents' bodies lying there, lifeless. Harry had not only found them, but had then had to be the one to tell everyone else. That must have been a hard burden to carry.

Ginny appeared from one of the other levels in the house. "How did it go?" she asked, looking between the three of them. Arthur had returned straight home after leaving the house. Hugo wondered how hard it had been on his grandfather as well.

They all nodded.

"It went well," Harry said. "It was good to see it again."

Ginny smiled. "That's good. Well, I've just started making dinner, so it should be ready soon. It's your favourite, Hu," she then added, looking at him directly.

"Thanks," Hugo replied.

After seeing Rose's suitcase full of odds and ends, he had also decided to pack. He needed his things, but he obviously didn't have as much as his sister. She had come back loaded.

With another thank you to his aunt and uncle, he began climbing the stairs – dragging his suitcase behind him – to his room. Rose had chosen to stay downstairs, but he later heard her also walking up. He paid her no attention.

Once safely inside, with his door locked, he got out what had been annoying him from the moment he had found them. When he had gone into their room, something had prompted him to search the drawers. He had just wanted to find something that would make him feel close to them – something that belonged to them.

And he had. He had found letters from his mum to his dad. They were all banded together, tucked away under clothes and probably hadn't been looked at in years. But they were still there and he wanted to read them.

He had only looked over them briefly before stuffing them in his pocket to read them later, but he couldn't find any from his dad to his mum. Perhaps he hadn't replied? No, his dad always replied to letters. His mum probably kept them somewhere else – somewhere he hadn't looked.

If Rose saw them, he knew she wasn't going to like it, so he was glad to be alone as he unfolded the first one. It was dated _September, 1998_, which – if his math was correct – was the year the war had ended. Hugo wondered if there were any from their time at Hogwarts. His dad probably hadn't kept those ones.

_Dear Ron_,

_It feels weird being back here without you or Harry. I'm not really sure what to do when I'm not studying. Ginny's here, of course, but it's just not the same. I'm still enjoying being back, though. I think I would have gone insane if I hadn't come back to finish my seventh year. It wouldn't feel right._

_How are you? I know it's only been two weeks since we saw each other (or said goodbye), but things change in two weeks. We, of all people should know that (and I apologise for not replying sooner, but it's taken some time getting used to being back). How is the Auror training going? I can imagine it would be hard work, but I have complete faith in you to do well. I know you will._

_To answer your question, I don't know when the first Hogsmeade trip will be, but I will be sure to let you know when I find out. Oh, I can't wait to see you again! As I said, it's different with you not being here._

_And, no, Ron! How could you think that? Of course I'm pleased that you're doing what you want to do. What I meant was that jumping straight into work without finishing school wasn't for ME! I know you'll be fine. _

_Anyway, I'm writing this over breakfast and class starts soon, so I have to go. I can't wait to see you again. _

_Love, Hermione._

The next one was dated a few years later, which made Hugo wonder if his dad had only kept the ones that meant something to him. His mum wouldn't wait four years to reply.

_Dear Ron,_

_Harry told me. Well, no, he didn't TELL me, I kind of got it out of him. You know what he's like. Anyway, I thought it was very sweet that you had it all planned out like that, even if it didn't go as you planned. _

_When it happened, I thought it was because you wanted to keep up with Harry or something. I mean, we were at HIS wedding so I just assumed that was what inspired you. But then Harry said you had been planning on proposing for months before that and that you kept putting it off because you were worried I would say no...?_

_Why would you think that? Anyway, all that fuss over proposing wasn't you. When have we ever done anything like that? No, I'm actually pleased you kind of came out with it in one muddled sentence at Harry and Ginny's reception (I really am!). It was more you._

_I can't wait for you to come home, though. I miss you. I hope your Auror test is going well and I am sending my best wishes and all my love to you. I'm certain that when you get back, I'll be engaged to a fully-fledged Auror (but, it won't matter one bit if I'm not!)._

_Please reply soon this time! I love you._

_Love, Hermione._

Hugo spent the next forty minutes reading through each letter. Some were pages long, while others were only a few sentences – each during a different time. Some were about Hugo and Rose, while they weren't even mentioned in others. But the very last one was what caught his attention. It was dated only two weeks before their deaths. It was relatively short, but as he read over it, he couldn't help but get a feeling they knew something was going to happen. Perhaps they didn't know they were going to die, but his mum seemed to think someone was after them.

Or maybe she was just being paranoid.

_Dear Ron,_

_I'm slightly worried. Well, not worried, just concerned that Begonia Webb may have found us. You know me, I'm not one to get worried about this kind of thing, but the last few days, I've felt as if someone has been watching the house. Ever since you left._

_I don't really know how to describe the feeling. Something just doesn't feel right. Maybe I just miss you and want you home? I forgot how lonely it is when you're away and the kids are at school. But, you'll be experiencing that on the weekend (for once!) when I go to Spain to meet with the Spanish Minister. _

_Anyway, don't panic, it's probably nothing; I just thought I would let you know and find out if you're okay. I don't really want to think about it if she's finally tracked us down. I'm also worried she knows what the kids look like too. If that's the case... do you think I should inform the Headmaster? Just in case?_

_No, probably not. I think I'm just thinking of excuses for you to come home. I miss you, you know. Anyway, stay safe and I'll see you in three days._

_I love you._

_Hermione._

_P.S. Oh, and don't mention it to Harry, please. He'll just think the worst._

Hugo stared at his mum's handwriting, reading the letter over and over again. She had been worried someone was watching them... had they been watching the house when he and Rose had been there?

And did Harry know about it? She had said not to tell him, so perhaps her uncle was not aware. Would it make it easier for him to find whoever had killed them if Hugo showed him the letter?

He hadn't planned on showing anyone them. It was his secret – something that made him feel close to them – and he didn't want to share it. But, if it helped find who had done it...

"Hugo? Are you in there? Do you want any dinner?"

Hugo stuffed the letters inside his pillow case and opened the door to Ginny. "Yeah, I'm starving," he replied cheerfully, walking past her and down the stairs before she could ask him what he had been doing.

OOO

Later that evening, Hugo took his mother's last letter out from the pillowcase and took it to Harry's office. His uncle was at his desk, bent over some paperwork that he didn't look too pleased about doing. Hugo remembered his dad had the same expression whenever he brought home a pile of parchment that was bigger than his Potions class' essays combined.

But Harry was probably also annoyed because he wasn't allowed to work on the case he wanted to.

Hugo knocked on the door and Harry glanced up, peering at him over his glasses. He set aside the quill he was using and leaned back in his chair. "This is a nice surprise," he said. "You were once terrified to come to this part of the house."

Hugo smiled faintly. He remembered that. When he was seven and was playing a big game of hide-and-seek with his cousins, he had hidden in Harry's office. Staying true to form, he had been the last one to be found, but he wasn't aware everyone had given up looking for him after almost an hour of searching.

He had waited hours and hours – his stomach growling for the dessert that had been promised – but no one came. He was only young and he had stayed there the whole night, until Harry found him hiding in the empty trunk just before he was going to go to bed.

It was a sleepover, so his parents weren't there, and none of his cousins had bothered to mention Hugo was missing, nor did anyone else really notice. There were a lot of Weasleys when they all came together; it wasn't hard to go unnoticed.

Ever since, Hugo hadn't set foot in Harry's office again. But he needed to show him the letter.

"I found something at the house..." He walked over to where Harry sat, and handed him the letter.

Harry took it, watching Hugo curiously, and then read over the letter. Once he was finished, he sat the parchment on the desk and ran his hand over his face, sighing heavily.

"Where in the house did you find this, Hu?" he asked.

"In a pile of heaps of other letters from Mum... But the rest have nothing in them," he added quickly, noticing the look Harry gave him. "They're just letters... they're kind of private."

Harry nodded, letting Hugo know he understood. "Thank you, mate," Harry said.

"Does it help?"

Harry hesitated for a moment, before nodding once. "It certainly brings new light to the matter," he said. "I'll take it to the Aurors first thing tomorrow morning."

"Is... Begonia Webb... is that her?"

Harry nodded again.

"So, it's definitely her, then?"

"Hugo..."

"Well, it makes sense now, doesn't it? Mum said she was watching them only a few weeks before..."

"According to this letter, she never saw who was watching them, if anyone was at all. Even if someone was, there is no proof it was her."

"You said the other day you thought it was her too!" Hugo argued, feeling his temper rise for the first time in ages. "You can't change your mind!"

Harry shook his head. "I'm not changing my mind," he promised. "I stand by what I said – I think it was her. But, the fact is, what I think doesn't matter. To arrest her, we need proof and in this moment we don't have it. If your mum had said she saw who was watching them, then it would be different, but..."

Hugo sighed. "This sucks," he said.

"I know it does, mate. I know. Despite what Rose thinks, I am doing everything in my power – as little as that is – to find out what happened. But..." He waved a hand over the paperwork. "They keep handing me all this so I have no reason to become involved."

"Aren't you the boss, though?" Hugo questioned.

"In the Auror Department, yes. In the Ministry, no. Kingsley is the Minister and he is the one making me do this. He doesn't want me involved."

"That's stupid. You'd be the best at finding her and giving her what she deserves."

"Which is exactly why I shouldn't be involved. What she did... if I saw her, I probably wouldn't act professionally."

"So, don't. I know I sound like Rose, but find her as _you_... not as an Auror."

"And lose my job in the process?"

Hugo opened his mouth to remind Harry what was more important, but closed it again quickly. He really was beginning to sound like Rose and that was something he didn't _ever_ want to happen. He was the one who understood when something couldn't be done; Rose was the irrational one who didn't care about the rules.

"Thanks," was all he said, making his way over to the door again.

"And Hugo..."

Hugo turned back to his uncle.

"Those letters..."

"Can I keep them?" Hugo asked.

Harry nodded. "Of course."

"And don't tell Rose."

Harry nodded, seeming to understand why he didn't want his sister finding out about them yet. Hugo would deal with the consequences of not telling her later.

"Are you okay?" Harry then asked and Hugo nodded.

"Yes, I'm better." And that was the truth. "Going to the house today... it was the best thing I could have done. I still miss them, but seeing where it happened, it kind of helped me a lot."

Harry smiled. "I'm pleased, Hugo," he said. "You do seem a lot happier."

Hugo returned the smile. "It's Rose you need to watch out for."

Harry sighed, leaning further back in his chair. "I know; I just don't know what to do with her at the moment."

"Just be there for her," Hugo told him. "That's all she needs."

With that, he left his uncle to his paperwork.

* * *

_**So, I have another chapter. As I've finished all 50 chapters, I'll probably be updating more regularly. *Fingers crossed* I hope you all liked this chapter, and your reviews would be much appreciated. **_


	17. Chapter 17

_**Using the prompt 'miracle'**_

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen**

A day passed. And then a week. There was still no news. The _Prophet_ speculated, and the magazines published stories about Hugo's mum and dad, but there was still nothing official.

Hugo watched as his sister became more and more reckless each day. There were times where she would lock the door to her bedroom and not even let _him_ in to talk to her. Other times, she would walk through the big house, snapping at everyone who got in her way (and somehow, everyone _did_ seem to get in her way).

Seeing the house had made Hugo feel at peace with what had happened. For Rose, it seemed to have had the opposite effect. She wasn't dealing with what had happened at all, yet no one was able to figure out what to do with her. Even Hugo couldn't get through to her, and if he couldn't, no one else would stand a chance.

While Hugo talked about going back to Hogwarts soon, Rose seemed to refuse to even think about it. Even when he tried to be nice, she took it as an insult.

Hugo had given up trying. He hoped that she would come around one day, but he wasn't going to try and make her. Everyone knew not to force Rose into something she didn't want to do. It would only end badly.

Nine days after they went to their house, there was a knock at the door. Hugo had been sitting on the small verandah at the back of Grimmauld Place, soaking up the limited sunlight London gave him. He had that morning's _Prophet_ in his lap, reading the newest speculation that his parents had died at the hands of escaped Death Eater, Rodolphus Lestrange.

If it hadn't been for loud whispers from Harry and Ginny inside, Hugo wouldn't have even noticed someone was at the door. The only visitors Grimmauld Place had was family and they tended not to knock. In fact, Hugo was pretty sure Grimmauld Place was protected by enchantments that kept it well hidden from both Muggles and wizards. Whoever it was, someone must have given them the address.

Tossing the paper aside, Hugo went back inside just as Ginny was leading none other than Draco Malfoy into the kitchen. He was dressed in the traditional Ministry robes Hugo had seen his parents wear time and time again. He was there on business, not for a friendly catch up.

"Would you like some tea?" Ginny asked hesitantly. "Coffee?"

Malfoy shook his head. Neither of them had noticed Hugo standing in the doorway and he wanted the keep it that way. Though, it was rather awkward watching his aunt and Scorpius' dad make small talk. From the stories he had heard, their relationship had been far from friendly in their Hogwarts days.

"Have a seat," Ginny offered, indicating one of the chairs at the table. "Harry shouldn't be long. He's just gone to get Rose."

Draco gave a short nod and remained silent until Harry returned a few minutes later with a disgruntled Rose. Her expression was sour, but seemed to brighten slightly when she saw who was waiting for her. Hugo wasn't sure why she was happy to see him – perhaps she thought Scorpius had come with him.

Harry ushered the two of them into the room and they took a seat beside one another, watching the man in front of them. He stared at them in return, seeming to feel something between disdain and pity. Hugo broke the gaze.

"As you both are probably aware," Harry began, albeit awkwardly, "this is Draco Malfoy – Scorpius' dad. He's a lawyer at the Ministry."

Hugo and Rose both nodded, telling him that they already knew that. The question was _why_ was he in their uncle's house?

"I'm here to offer you my assistance," Malfoy said. "You will need someone to fight your case and –"

"What case?" Rose interrupted, glaring at him.

Hugo watched, anticipating a retort from the so-called lawyer. The only time he had seen Scorpius' father was when he had shown up – unwelcomed – at his parents' funeral. But he looked like the type of person who wouldn't take any nonsense from Rose – whether she was friends with his son or not.

Instead, Malfoy merely answered her question calmly. "There will be a case, Miss Weasley. There will be a trial for your parents' murder eventually and you will need somebody to represent you. I think I would be the best person for the job."

Rose opened her mouth to argue again, but was silenced by Ginny resting a hand on her arm. Hugo guessed what she was going to say, though. Their dad hated Scorpius' dad. Even though he was gone, there was no way he would appreciate Draco Malfoy working so close with his children. He'd hate it, actually.

"Why you, Malfoy?" Harry questioned, seeming to lose any formality he possessed a few moments ago. "What possible interest would you have in the murders of my two friends? I was expecting this eventually, but I certainly wasn't expecting _you_ to appear on my doorstep."

Hugo couldn't help but disagree. It was actually a miracle that something was being done at all. It had been over a month.

Malfoy hesitated, probably debating whether or not to tell them the truth, or lie. It seemed the truth won out in the end.

"I received a letter from my son," he confessed. "A letter that suggested – or more demanded – that I do something to help you in this difficult time." He looked directly at Rose and Hugo assumed he hadn't been mentioned in Scorpius' letter.

"So, you don't really want to be here, then?" Hugo questioned, knowing his voice was accusing.

"That's not what I said," Malfoy replied with a tone of irritation. "I would like to help. Your parents didn't deserve to die like they did, and whoever killed them deserves to be punished and sent to Azkaban. Even I will admit, they've done a lot for the wizarding community over the years."

Hugo wondered if he really meant what he was saying, or his words were coming from Scorpius. What had Scorpius said in his letter to make his father decide to help them? What did Malfoy not want his son to reveal to the public?

Or maybe – as odd as it sounded – he really did just want to help. Glancing around, Hugo saw that no one else believed that to be the case. Rose simply glared at him, while Harry and Ginny looked more surprised than anything.

_At least he's offering_, Hugo thought. _It's more than anyone else_.

"How much do you want?" Harry eventually asked. "Name your price."

Malfoy lifted a large briefcase onto his lap and dug through pieces of parchment. Eventually, he found what he was looking for and handed it over to Harry. Hugo was too far away to see what was on it, but he guessed it was his rates. Would they be able to afford him?

Harry studied the parchment and then glanced up with a raised eyebrow. Ginny – who had also read it – frowned.

"Surely you expect more than that," Harry stated.

Malfoy shook his head. "They're just children," he said. "They could never afford anything more."

_And Scorpius would probably kill you if you did anything to upset Rose_, Hugo found himself thinking.

"We'll have to think about it," Harry continued.

"I am the best lawyer the Ministry currently has," Malfoy said. "I have complete faith in my ability to fight this case and put the culprit in Azkaban. You could look at others, but they wouldn't be nearly as effective, or as efficient, as I would be."

The look on Harry's face told Hugo that that was the truth, as much as he didn't want to admit it.

"Could you give us a moment, please?" Harry then asked, getting up from the table. Ginny followed, but not without a glance behind her shoulder at the three remaining people. It seemed she was unsure whether or not to leave Rose and Hugo in the same room as a Malfoy, but she left eventually.

"Go and listen," Rose hissed into Hugo's ear.

"_What?_"

"Go and see what they're talking about," Rose explained, giving him a slight nudge.

With a look towards Draco Malfoy – who was doing his best to pretend not to have heard Rose – Hugo got to his feet, unsure if he should or not. When they had been younger, Rose would always send Hugo to eavesdrop on conversations. He was the best at it – everyone knew that. But he hadn't done that in years. Once he got a little older, his parents started including them in conversations and decisions anyway, so there was no need for him to do it anymore.

Before he could make a decision, Malfoy coughed uncomfortably. They both looked at him. "Do you think eavesdropping is the best solution?" he asked awkwardly, seeming unable to control himself any longer.

Rose's eyes narrowed for a moment, and then she gave her brother another – slightly harder – push.

Hugo made his way into the hall, following the trail of whispers coming from his aunt and uncle. They were on the first landing. He tiptoed up the stairs, making sure to avoid the ones that creaked. Ginny's voice echoed from where she was down the hall.

"I don't care if you think he's telling the truth," she said. "The point is... it's Malfoy!"

"He will be good, though," Harry argued. "I've seen him in action. He's brilliant – I'm not going to deny that. Once we catch her, Malfoy can make it work for them. Ginny, we have to think about what's best for Rose and Hugo, and do what Ron and Hermione would have wanted. We have to put any past conflicts behind us."

Ginny's voice was harsher than Hugo had ever heard it. "Two things, Harry. One, you haven't caught her or anyone else for that matter. You have no leads. You have nothing."

"That's not my fault!" Harry protested, sounding just as angry.

"_Two_," Ginny continued, "do you really think my _brother_ would want Malfoy defending his children?"

"No, but he'd want Begonia Webb caught and sentenced to Azkaban."

"Not by Malfoy!"

"Actually, if we had caught her before she... before she did what she did, I have no doubt Malfoy would have been the first one Ron turned to."

"Ron hated him!"

"Of course he did, but Malfoy would have made a convincing argument as to why she should be sent to Azkaban. If she had gone after the kids instead of them and Malfoy had come knocking on their door, offering to help, they would have accepted."

Ginny's silence told Hugo she agreed with what Harry said and he assumed the argument was settled. Draco Malfoy was going to help fight their case.

"Well, I think Rose and Hugo should have the final decision at least," Ginny eventually said.

"Fair enough," Harry agreed. "So, are you ready?"

"I still don't like the idea of working that closely with him," Ginny answered. "I never thought I'd see the day I'd be getting his help."

"You're not. Rose and Hugo are."

Hugo heard footsteps coming his way, so he hurried back into the kitchen.

"What did they say?" Rose asked.

But he didn't have a chance to reply, because Harry and Ginny had also just walked in.

Malfoy got to his feet, watching them expectantly. "You've come to a decision?" he asked.

Harry shook his head. "It's up to Rose and Hugo."

Rose looked slightly shocked that the decision had been put on her. Her mouth hung open as she stared at Scorpius' father, all anger gone.

Hugo, who had had a few moments longer to prepare for his answer, nodded. Ginny didn't look too happy about it, but didn't say anything. "This is the first we've heard from anyone," he explained. "No offence, Uncle Harry, but the Aurors are doing a pretty lousy job at finding who did this. All we've got is Dad's watch and their wedding rings. We want more. We want to see the person who took our mum and dad away punished. And if that means getting Mr. Malfoy to help us, then I want him to. No one else has offered."

Both Harry and Ginny stared at Hugo blankly, while Malfoy gave them a smug look. Rose simply nodded in agreement.

"I want to know, too," she said.

Harry nodded. "Very well. We'd like you to help in the case, Draco."

Draco Malfoy nodded. "Thank you."

"Is that all you came to tell us?" Rose's tone had returned to cold.

Malfoy nodded again. "For now, that is all I have to say. I will talk to the department that takes care of the wills and try and get that sorted as soon as I can."

"Will? What will?" Rose asked, looking from Malfoy to Harry.

"Your parents have a will, Rosie."

Rose looked surprised by that news and so was Hugo. They'd never told him. He'd never even heard them mention it before. Then again, they probably weren't expecting to die so soon, either.

"Well, if that's all?" Draco Malfoy looked around uncomfortably.

Everyone nodded and Harry showed him to the door. No one even mentioned the idea of Apparition or using the Floo Network. Apparently that honour was reserved for only those who were welcome in one's home.

"Are you two sure about this?" Ginny asked and Hugo could hear the resentment in her voice.

They both nodded.

"Uncle Harry thinks he can help," Hugo said. "That's all that matters."

As she walked away, Ginny shook her head, probably in disgust or confusion. Inviting Draco Malfoy into their lives probably wasn't the best idea, but it was done now, and if he got results for them at the end, then that was all that counted, wasn't it?

Hugo looked at Rose and gave her a small smile, letting her know it was going to be okay. She smiled back, which warmed him. He hoped their parents were proud of them. This was the closest they had ever been (it was the nicest Rose had ever been to him).

He had to hope that wherever they were, his parents were happy.

* * *

_**Thanks for all of your fantastic reviews so far. And thank you to those of you who have reviewed every chapter. Much appreciated! And thank you to Joanna once again for beta-ing. Jo is currently away, so I'm not sure when the next chapter will be posted, though. Sometime after she gets back.**_

_**I hope you liked this chapter and please don't forget to leave a review, because that always means a lot! Thanks!**_


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter Eighteen**

It wasn't until a few weeks after Draco Malfoy's visit to Grimmauld Place that he returned again, this time bearing the will he had promised them. Hugo was still surprised that his parents had one in the first place. Wasn't that only for old people? People like his grandparents?

"Your parents weren't just going to leave you with nothing," Harry said when Hugo had voiced this opinion. "They made it not long after Rose was born. And they added you to it when you were born."

"But they weren't supposed to die now," Hugo said. "How did they know?"

"They didn't. They were just prepared," Harry said.

Hugo still wasn't convinced by this and he wasn't sure if he wanted to hear what was in the will. What had his mum and dad left them? They had never mentioned it, so he didn't know.

"Rose, Hugo, can you come into the living room, please?" Ginny asked when Draco Malfoy had arrived. Malfoy and Harry were standing behind her silently. Draco was once again dressed in Ministry robes determining his purpose there.

Of course he'd never actually come because he felt bad. From what he had heard, Scorpius' dad was probably pleased his parents were dead.

Hugo had been sitting with Rose in the kitchen when Ginny had called them. They had been eating lunch, but at the arrival of Malfoy, their lunches lay forgotten and they followed their aunt and uncle into the open living room. Hugo sat on one couch with his sister, while Draco sat on the other. Harry and Ginny stood to the side.

Draco coughed to get their attention. "So, as you are probably already aware, I am here about your parents' will," he said. "It has taken some time to get a hold of it, but they finally handed it to me just yesterday." He took out his wand and with one wave, a piece of parchment appeared in his hand.

He coughed again, seeming to feel as uncomfortable as Hugo felt. "Rose Nymphadora Weasley and Hugo Bilius Weasley, here I have the will of Ronald and Hermione Weasley." He glanced down at the parchment and then back to Rose and Hugo. "I could go through the list, but in the end, your parents have left you everything."

"What?" Rose sat up a little straighter. "What do you mean, _everything?_"

"Exactly what it sounds like," Draco answered. "The two of you have inherited everything. Your house, everything that is inside of it, and their money at Gringotts. It's all yours."

Hugo looked around the silent room at everyone's shocked faces. Why were they all so surprised? Who else would've his mum and dad left everything to? Were they expecting Harry and Ginny?

"And who do they want to care for Rose and Hugo?" Ginny asked uncomfortably.

Malfoy nodded. "The two of you."

"Not their grandparents?"

"No, it specifically states that in the event of their deaths they give custody of their children to Harry and Ginevra Potter until they turn seventeen." He cleared his throat, "_In the event of our deaths, we entrust the care of our daughter and son with Harry James Potter and Ginevra Molly Weasley until their seventeenth birthdays."_

Hugo wasn't sure, but Harry and Ginny both looked relatively relieved by this news. Had they been worried he and Rose would be sent back to Sunbury to live with their Muggle grandparents?

"Is that all?" Harry asked.

Malfoy hesitated. "Well, I do have some other news, but only if you want to hear it."

"If it's to do with what happened to Mum and Dad, then we want to hear it," Rose said before anyone else had the chance.

Malfoy nodded. "Okay then. I have been doing some research regarding your parents' case, and I came across some news that the Auror department kept quite secretive from the rest of the Ministry." He looked pointedly at Harry. "About eighteen months ago, there was this –"

"We know about that!" Rose interrupted. "My dad had a spell go wrong and it ended up killing a little boy. Dad was devastated and the mother of that kid was out to get them. Yes, we know. I thought you had something new to tell us. Besides, it was all over the papers days after they were killed. How could you not know?"

Malfoy looked down at the parchment in his hand again. "I'm sorry. I wasn't aware you were informed, but I suppose I should have guessed... and to answer your question, Rose, I didn't read the _Prophet_. I haven't for a very long time."

Hugo found that hard to imagine. Everyone read the _Prophet_. Everyone would assume his dad had killed a little boy on purpose, and killed his mum too. And surely Rose had told Scorpius what she knew.

"It's strange, though, don't you think, Malfoy," Harry said, "That even you, who was unaware of their situation, came to the same conclusion as us after reading into it. That woman sent them death threats, she threatened to harm their children, yet we've been unable to locate her."

"I'm having some of my own people in my department look into it too," Malfoy said, "And I've spoken to some of the Aurors on the case. We'll find her eventually. I can assure you."

"Why do you care so much anyway, Malfoy? I'm still confused about that." Ginny was looking at him with great curiosity – as if she truly couldn't believe he had no alternative motive.

"Like I said, they didn't deserve to die like they did."

Ginny shook her head.

"And, as I also said, my son insisted that I do something to help."

Ginny still didn't seem convinced, but Hugo was. He knew Scorpius better than his aunt and uncle. Scorpius could be very persuading when he wanted to be, especially when Rose was involved. Hugo had no doubt he was telling the truth.

"Listen, Potter, I don't know what kind of explanation you're looking for, but that is the truth. I am not here to argue with you, I am simply here to do my job..." Malfoy waved the parchment at them, which even Hugo thought might have been a little unprofessional. "Which I have done," he then continued. "Ron and Hermione Weasley's children have inherited everything they ever owned and they have granted you custody of them. What else are you looking for?"

"An explanation as to who killed Mum and Dad!" Rose cried. "You're a useless lawyer."

"Rose..." Harry warned.

Malfoy got to his feet and Hugo could see he was doing everything he could to stop himself from saying something to Rose. "I have told you all I know," he said after taking in a deep, calming breath. "When I hear more, I will let you know. In the meantime, I suggest the four of you decide what you want to do with your house. My suggestion would be to sell it, but if that's the case, I will have to put you in contact with somebody else to help you as I have little knowledge in dealing with Muggles and their businesses."

"Sell our house?" Hugo had never even considered that, but he supposed it made sense. What use was their house going to be if they couldn't live there? But who would want to live there after people had been murdered?

"But... we just saw it for the first time like a month ago." Rose's voice was quiet, sad.

"No decisions will be made today," Harry assured them. Malfoy nodded in agreement.

"Absolutely not," he agreed. "That is something you can ponder over for some time. It is yours now, meaning you can decide what you do with it."

"What else _exactly_ did Mum and Dad leave us?" Hugo wondered. He didn't realise he had spoken his question out loud until Malfoy responded.

"All the gold they ever had saved in their vault at Gringotts," he said.

"Which was how much?"

"Enough that will get you by for some time."

"We never had that much," Rose interrupted. "How much?"

"I don't know the exact amount. You are welcome to go and see for yourselves."

"They're really gone, aren't they?"

Rose's arm found Hugo's shoulder and she squeezed it tightly. "Only in body, Hu," she said.

"That's right, Hugo," Ginny added softly. "You still have the memories."

Hugo nodded. Strangely, he was okay with that. Or, he had accepted it. It felt strange.

"Okay, well, I suppose I'll leave it at that now." Malfoy got to his feet, looking intently at Rose. There was something in his expression that resembled affection. Or perhaps it was pity. Hugo didn't know the difference.

Harry got to his feet too and shook hands with Scorpius' dad. "Er, thanks," he said. "We'll be in touch?"

Malfoy nodded. "When I hear something." He hesitated, and then said, "Listen, you may not believe me when I tell you this, but I really am sorry about your loss and what is being said about your family."

Harry nodded. "Thank you."

From where he still sat on the couch, Hugo saw the tension between his uncle and Scorpius' dad. Would they ever like each other? Probably not. There was too much history between them.

"I'll be in touch," Malfoy promised. "In the meantime, if you come to any decisions at all, let me know." He left the living room and Hugo could hear his feet echoing down the hallway to the door. It seemed he was still unwelcome to use the Floo Network.

Harry returned after Malfoy had left and took his seat on the couch. "Are you two okay?" he asked.

Hugo nodded. Rose shook her head.

"I know it's a lot to take in."

"It kind of makes it all final, doesn't it?" Rose asked softly. "We have the house, the car, their money, because they won't need it anymore." She paused, seeming to think. "And why would they leave us everything anyway? Why would they leave us with such a burden?"

"I don't think they thought it was a burden to you, Rose," Ginny said.

"Well, it is."

"No, it's not."

Everyone turned to Hugo, waiting for him to continue.

"It made me feel better... knowing they can never really come back," he confessed. "It makes it easier to accept."

Rose was looking at him as if he had contracted Spattergroit, but Harry and Ginny nodded, showing their understanding.

"That's a very mature thing to say, Hugo," Harry said. "And very meaningful. Your mum and dad will be pleased to know they raised two very mature and strong-willed children."

Hugo smiled.

"So, what should we do about the house?" Rose interrupted, making it clear she didn't want to talk about their parents.

"That is entirely your decision, Rosie," Harry said. "Yours and Hugo's. We will support your decision no matter what it is."

"I'm not sure if I'm ready to sell it yet; to say goodbye."

Harry nodded. "I understand. And as Draco said, there's no pressure to do it soon. The two of you talk about it and even if it takes you a year to decide, that's fine, okay?"

Hugo and Rose both nodded. It probably was going to take that long. How were they supposed to make such a tough decision? They were only teenagers.

"But, we're glad you're the ones looking after us," Hugo then said.

Rose nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I like it here."

Harry and Ginny both smiled. "Well, that's good at least. The two of you have seemed a lot happier the past week or so."

"That's because I'm accepting that they're gone," Hugo answered. He looked at Rose, but she purposely avoided making eye contact. She, too, had seemed a lot happier, but he knew it was only a front. Deep down, Rose had not come to terms with what had happened at all. They would have to look out for her. More so than Hugo. "I also think I want to go back to Hogwarts after summer," he added.

Harry nodded. "That sounds like a good plan, mate. Have a few more weeks to think about it, but once the others are back and settled, I'll inform Professor Gimp. He was probably expecting that to be the case anyway."

"Will I have to redo fourth year, though?" Rose questioned. "Seeing as I missed a lot?"

Hugo bit his lip. He hadn't actually thought about that, but now that Rose had mentioned it, it would make sense. For Rose, it would probably be okay. She knew more than sixth years did anyway, but he wasn't that smart. He had to practice a spell over and over again to get it even half right.

The thought of being in the same year as the Finnigan twins frustrated him. They were so irritating and he couldn't imagine sharing a dormitory with them. No one liked them, not even their sister, Jasmine.

"I'll see what I can do," Harry replied. "There may be a way for you to do your exams without having to repeat the year."

No one moved from their spots in the living room after that. They all watched Harry expectantly.

He laughed. "You can go," he said. "We're done here, now."

Hugo was the first to leave, heading back down the hall to finish his long forgotten lunch. Rose joined him just as he sat in the chair.

"Do you want to sell the house?" she questioned, retaking her own seat. "It seems strange that one day, someone else might be sleeping in my room... sleeping in their room."

"What else will we do with it?" Hugo asked. "We can't live there."

Rose's expression saddened. "I know," she said. "But I'll be seventeen in two and half years and I was thinking maybe..." She shook her head. "Doesn't matter. I'll probably be over the idea then and want to get out of England or something."

"You want to live there?" Hugo questioned. "In the house?"

Rose shook her head again. "No, not really. I... I just don't want to sell, that's all. It'll mean we have nothing left of them."

Hugo subconsciously glanced down at his dad's watch on his wrist. He saw that his sister was wearing their rings. They were only little things, but they were still something and in his opinion, they were better than any house. They were more personal.

Neither of them had touched their sandwiches and Hugo felt strangely full despite his stomach growling. He pushed his plate away.

"Do you think it will ever get easier, Rosie?" he asked.

She turned to him. "I thought you were okay with it?" she said angrily.

"It doesn't mean it's easy."

"I think we'll never forget about them, Hu, nor do I want to forget. But I hope the pain goes away. I'm not sure how much more of this I could take."

* * *

_**Thanks for all your lovely reviews for this, and thank you Joanna for beta-ing this chapter. It resulted in a lot of yelling on her part, because uni has taken over my soul, and all characters of mine now write in some posh language that results in no contractions of you're, that's, etc.**_

_**Please review this chapter. I'd love to hear your opinions!**_


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